A Division Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday stayed a single judge’s March 27 order restraining Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) from felling any tree in any park situated on the corridors falling in the ongoing phase II project in the city without obtaining express approval from a committee constituted by him.
Acting Chief Justice T. Raja and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy granted the interim stay after senior counsel P.S. Raman, representing CMRL, told the Bench that the single judge’s order had led to duplicity of proceedings since there were already State and district-level green committees to grant approval for felling of trees at public places.
The court was informed that while dealing with a 2021 writ petition, a Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran (since retired) and T.V. Thamilselvi had asked the State government to disclose whether it had any plan to enact a legislation similar to the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, to protect the trees on public places and government land.
