Aarey protests: Bombay High Court refused to declare Aarey Colony a forest area
NEW DELHI: Protests continued during the wee hours of Saturday as authorities began cutting down trees at Mumbai's Aarey Colony for a metro car shed, merely hours after the Bombay High Court dismissed all petitions against the move. Protesters gathered at the spot asking why can't the authorities wait until a petition can be filed in the Supreme Court regarding the matter.
Here are the live updates of Mumbai Aarey protest:
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Supports Green Activists
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, the BJP's key alliance partner in Maharashtra, has supported the green activists. "The upcoming government will be our government, and once our government comes into power once again, we will deal with the murderers of Aarey Forest in the best possible way," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
Bombay High Court Rejects Petition
The Bombay High Court has rejected a fresh petition moved by some green activists to stay the cutting of trees in Mumbai's Aarey Colony.
There's always conflict between development and conservation: Alia Bhatt
There's always conflict between development and conservation: Alia Bhatt
Bombay HC has ruled that it's not a forest: Prakash Javadekar- He said, "In Delhi, 271 metro stations have been made and tree cover has also increase."
- He backed cutting trees at Aarey, says development and environment protection should go together
Bulldozers enter Aarey to cut trees- 29 activists have been arrested since Friday night in Mumbai after they tried to stop the authorities from cutting trees at Aarey Colony, where a car shed for the Mumbai Metro will be built.
- Bulldozers rolled into the area as protesters looked at them from a safe distance.
- Any gathering of four or more people is banned now, the Mumbai Police said.
- A police case has been filed against 38 people, Mumbai Police public relations officer Pranaya Ashok said. Twenty have been arrested and they will appear in a court today, he said.
Aaditya Thackeray questions detention of citizens
Heavy police deployment in Aarey Colony amid protests- The entire Aarey Colony was cordoned off by Mumbai police on Saturday morning after hundreds of green activists tried to stop the felling of trees in the area.
- "There is a heavy police deployment in the area. No one is allowed to enter Aarey Colony. Even tourists are being stopped," an activist said.
- Environment activists criticised the authorities, claiming that almost 200 trees have been cut so far. They alleged the metro corporation wants to finish the job before October 10, when the matter comes before the National Green Tribunal.
- "This matter is going to be heard by the NGT on October 10, and we hope to get some respite from there. But it seems like the authorities want to eliminate the entire green patch before the hearing," Stalin D, one of the activists, said.
- Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon said cutting the trees was "a violation of the model code of conduct".
Police detains Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi
- Prohibitory orders under Section 144 clamped in the area near the metro-rail project site in Aarey Forest, Mumbai Police PRO tweeted.
- Prohibitory orders under Section 144 clamped in the area near the metro-rail project site in Aarey Forest, Mumbai Police PRO tweeted.
- Section 144 imposed in the Aarey area. People cannot gather in Aarey area.
- Over 20 people have been arrested. They will be produced in the court today.
Filmmaker Onir tweets on Aarey issue
Police barricading at the entrance of Aarey![](https://edata.ndtv.com/feeds/liveblog/2112185/637058612445335487.jpg)
A sad day today, tweets Priya Dutt
Authorities are abusing the protestor, tweets Jignesh Mevani
Cutting trees at night is pathetic: Farhan Akhtar
This will haunt us, says Yogendra Yadav
Dia Mirza says stop cutting trees Aaditya Thackeray joins Aarey battle- He also tweeted, "The vigour with which the @MumbaiMetro3 is slyly and swiftly cutting down an ecosystem in Aarey is shameful and disgusting. How about posting these officials in PoK, giving them charge to destroy terror camps rather than trees?"
- "Many environmentalists and even many local Shiv Sena members from the vicinity have tried stopping this. More so the increased police presence and the way this deforestation is happening, @MumbaiMetro3 is destroying everything India said at the UN @UNEnvironment @UN"
- "There's no point for the Central government ministry of climate change to exist, or to speak about plastic pollution when the @MumbaiMetro3 senselessly destroys the Aarey vicinity. This ego battle taken up by Metro 3 is destroying the purpose of making it."
Aarey is in clear violation of citizens' rights, says Mumbai Congress
- Several activists, including women, have been detained during the night.
- Tree cutting continued through the night.
- Activists allege that the police is not allowing anyone to enter Aarey.
Protests continue in Aarey as authorities cut down trees- Protests continued during the wee hours of Saturday as authorities began cutting down trees at Mumbai's Aarey Colony for a metro car shed, merely hours after the Bombay High Court dismissed all petitions against the move.
- "What is the hurry that they are cutting down trees in the middle of the night," one of the protesters said.
- Protesters gathered at the spot asking why can't the authorities wait until a petition can be filed in the Supreme Court regarding the matter.
- "It is saddening to see that the trees which provide life to others are being cut. This is happening when the government itself is urging people to plant more trees," another protester, Albert Michel said.
- The site also has heavy police deployment as hundreds of people have gathered in the area to stop trees from being hacked.
- The Bombay High Court had, on Friday, dismissed all petitions against the proposed cutting down of over 2,500 trees in Aarey Colony of Mumbai to make way for a Metro car shed and refused to declare the colony as a forest.
- Scores of locals including environmental activists have been opposing the cutting of trees for the construction of the car shed of the metro station. They are demanding the relocation of the bus depot, which is a part of the Metro III project.
- Several B-town actors and political leaders have also extended their support to activists by participating in the protests against the cutting of trees.
- Meanwhile, actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar had supported the Metro project.