200 activists detained as tree felling begins in Mumbai's 'green lung'

Mumbai: Hours after the Bombay High Court dismissed petitions opposing tree-felling in Aarey Colony in north Mumbai, a prime green lung of the city, for Metro work, activists alleged that authorities have started hacking trees. Of over 2,600 trees which are to be felled, 200 had been cut by Friday night, activists alleged.

Around 200 people were detained for protesting against the cutting of trees where work for Mumbai Metro will start soon.

Videos of tree-felling went viral on social media, though it could not be confirmed from Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation officials if indeed tree cutting for the planned metro car shed in Aarey had begun.

But the site of the proposed car shed saw heavy police deployment as hundreds of people gathered there late Friday night to stop trees from being hacked.

Several tweets lambasted the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra as well as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation over the issue.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Preeti Menon Sharma said tree cutting was a violation of the poll code in force for the October 21 Assembly elections.

Several activists alleged that the felling of trees was illegal and that trees can be cut only 15 days after the court posts the order on its website