Summary:
The Bombay High Court dismissed on Friday a clutch of petitions, including two that had challenged the Tree Authority's decision to clear over 2,600 trees at Aarey Colony to make way for the Metro 3 car depot. One of these petitions, filed by Shiv Sena corporator Yashwant Jadhav, also opposing the nod by the BMC's Tree Authority was trashed but not before imposing Rs 50,000 as fine on the petitioner. Activist Zoru Bhathena and corporator Jadhav were against the Tree Authority's approval of August 29 for removal of 2,646 trees. The HC said, "...the views of the experts...were duly considered by the Tree Authority and for good and valid reasons, in part were accepted and part were rejected." It held that the Tree Authority decision was "fair, transparent and based on reason" and said that the "Greens fail in these two petitions on merit"..