The Supreme Court has agreed to hear BMC’s plea for additional tree felling to advance the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project. The decision balances Mumbai’s infrastructure growth with environmental concerns and compensatory afforestation norms.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India has agreed to consider the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) plea seeking permission to cut additional trees for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project, with the condition of compensatory afforestation.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran acknowledged the BMC counsel’s submission that further tree felling is necessary to facilitate the next stage of the ambitious infrastructure project. The bench stated that the matter would be listed for consideration.
This development comes after the top court, on August 14, had permitted the civic body to fell 95 trees for the first phase of the GMLR project. The BMC had assured the court it would strictly adhere to compensatory afforestation norms, including geo-tagging of the saplings planted in place of the felled trees to ensure transparency and compliance.
The GMLR project is designed to connect the Western Express Highway with the Eastern Express Highway, significantly improving connectivity across Mumbai. The road is expected to reduce travel time between Goregaon and Mulund by nearly an hour, easing traffic congestion in the process.