Mumbai seeks court nod to remove 1,134 trees for Goregaon-Mulund tunnel work

#Law & Policy#India#Maharashtra#Mumbai City

Last Updated : 1st Jan, 1970

Synopsis

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Tree Authority has approached the Supreme Court seeking approval to cut 1,134 trees in Film City, Mumbai, to facilitate the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project�a key infrastructure initiative aimed at connecting the Western and Eastern Express Highways and reducing travel time by nearly an hour. Respecting the Court's earlier directive barring tree felling in Aarey without explicit permission, the Authority clarified that the proposed development does not fall within the protected Aarey Milk Colony. The trees are required for constructing twin tunnels over a 6.2-km stretch, particularly for pit excavation and tunnel boring machine operations. A shift in the launching shaft�s location to avoid displacing a tribal hamlet has also increased the number of trees to be felled. The Tree Authority has sought permission to remove 95 trees in the first phase and requested the liberty to return for further approvals in the next phase of the project.

Representative image

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Tree Authority has recently sought approval to clear a significant number of trees in Film City, Mumbai. This action aims to facilitate a major cross-city road connectivity project, with the authority filing a specific application with the apex court, respecting a prior court directive regarding tree felling in the region.

The application by the Tree Authority requests permission to remove 1,134 trees. This tree removal is necessary for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project. The Supreme Court had directed in January that no trees could be cut in Aarey without its express permission. In its submission, the Tree Authority clarified that while the project falls within Aarey village, the specific development site is not located within the Aarey Milk Colony area, which is typically under stricter protection.

A letter from the Aarey Colony chief executive officer also states that the proposed tunnels do not fall within the jurisdiction of the Aarey Dairy Development department. The GMLR project is an ambitious initiative designed to establish seamless road connectivity from the Western Express Highway to the Eastern Express Highway, promising to reduce travel time between Mulund and Goregaon by almost an hour. The trees are specifically required for the construction of 6.2-kilometer twin tunnels, which form a crucial segment of the 5.3-kilometer GMLR section spanning between Film City, Goregaon, and Khindipada (Amar Nagar), Mulund.

The Authority explained that while the project aims to develop a road through a tunnel to help preserve green space on the ground, the excavation of pit structures for Tunnel Boring Machines and launching shafts requires clearing ground, necessitating the removal of certain trees.

Furthermore, a recent decision to shift the launching shaft's location, done to avoid relocating a tribal hamlet named Habalepada, resulted in an additional 40 trees needing to be felled than initially planned. The Authority has specifically requested permission to remove 95 trees in the initial phase (for excavation) and seeks liberty to approach the court for further permissions related to tree felling in the second phase, keeping in mind the public project's requirements.

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5th Jun, 2025

Mumbai seeks court nod to remove 1,134 trees for Goregaon-Mulund tunnel work

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