The Supreme Court has mandated that no trees can be felled or transplanted for the Kolkata metro rail project near the iconic Victoria Memorial without explicit permission from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). This directive came while addressing a plea that challenged a recent decision by the Calcutta High Court.
Justices B R Gavai, P K Mishra, and K V Vishwanathan presided over the case and emphasized the need to assuage the petitioner’s concerns regarding environmental impact, particularly the potential loss of over 900 trees due to construction near one of the proposed metro stations. The court stated, “It would be appropriate that the CEC examined the issue. We, therefore, direct that the respondents shall not undertake transplantation or felling of the trees without the permission of the CEC,” subsequently disposing of the plea.
Representatives for ‘people united for better living in Calcutta (PUBLIC)’, the petitioners, expressed their approval of the metro project but raised serious concerns about the environmental costs. In contrast, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the project’s execution, highlighting that the majority of the trees in question were not being removed but transplanted. He reported that out of 827 trees designated for transplantation, 94 had already been moved. Additionally, he informed the court of plans to plant 2,370 new trees under a compensatory afforestation programme.
The importance of the metro project was underscored by Mehta, who argued that it would significantly relieve road congestion upon completion. The ongoing Joka-Esplanade metro line, which includes a 5.05-kilometer underground stretch from Khidirpur to Esplanade, is crucial for enhancing connectivity from the southwestern suburbs to the central areas of Kolkata.
The Supreme Court’s intervention follows its earlier decision on September 13 to halt all tree felling and transplantation activities until further notice and its request for responses from the West Bengal government and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) among others.
