The vacation bench of Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya and Justice Bibhas Ranjan De on Thursday restrained Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) from uprooting 700 trees for constructing a Metro station in the city’s Maidan area.
Hearing a PIL by People United for Better Living in Calcutta (PUBLIC), a non-profit, non-political citizen action group, the bench said indiscriminate chopping of trees should be prevented as the Maidan undisputedly serves as lungs for the city rather than just being an open space.
The bench passed a limited order of injunction on RVNL to stop uprooting of trees in Maidan area and listed the matter for hearing on November 9.
The Metro station would be constructed for the Joka-Esplanade corridor.
The bench said there was non-representation on behalf of RVNL at the hearing, while the counsel for the West Bengal government maintained that state has nothing to do with the matter.
The petitioner claimed uprooting of trees was supposed to commence after the Durga Puja festival this year.
The court observed that the immediate concern of the petitioner is the random and unexplained uprooting of trees in Maidan area.
The bench said due to non-represention of the respondent (RVNL), the court is deprived of a clearer and factual picture of the matter.
