On the night of 4 October 2019, hours after the Bombay High Court refused to declare Mumbai's Aarey Colony a forest, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL) began cutting about 2,600 trees for a Metro Line 3 car shed. Protesters rushed to the site; police arrested 29 people and imposed prohibitory orders. On 7 October the Supreme Court, acting on a law student's letter, ordered that no more trees be cut, by which time MMRCL said 2,141 had already been felled.
Key takeaways
- MMRCL began felling trees for the Metro Line 3 car shed in Aarey on the night of 4 October 2019, hours after the Bombay High Court refused to declare Aarey a forest.
- Police arrested 29 protesters, booked 38 and imposed Section 144; all were bailed within days, and the Thackeray government later withdrew the cases.
- The Supreme Court halted felling on 7 October 2019 on a law student's letter; MMRCL said 2,141 trees were already down.
- The shed moved to Kanjurmarg in 2020, was stalled by a land dispute, and was moved back to Aarey by the Shinde-Fadnavis government in July 2022, prompting new protests.
- The Supreme Court allowed 84 more trees in 2022, fined MMRCL Rs 10 lakh in 2023 for seeking 177, and has barred further Aarey felling without its leave since January 2025.
Background: Aarey and the car shed
Aarey Milk Colony lies in suburban Goregaon, south of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Scroll described it as a 1,300-hectare forested expanse, home to 27 Adivasi villages, at least nine leopards and nearly five lakh trees Scroll.
In 2015, city authorities and MMRCL announced a plan to clear about 30 hectares of Aarey for a depot for Metro Line 3, the 33.5 km underground Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ line then under construction Scroll. The project is funded through Japan's development agency JICA JICA.
The Save Aarey campaign, 2014 to 2019
Campaigners date the movement to a meeting called by Manish Gadia on 23 November 2014 at Tukaram Omble garden. Adivasi resident Prakash Bhoir became one of its best-known faces Citizen Matters.
The legal route failed twice before 2019. In 2017 activists Amrita Bhattacharjee and Biju Augustine challenged the change of land use of 33 hectares from "no development zone" to car shed; the Bombay High Court dismissed it, saying Aarey had not been officially designated a forest. In September 2018 the National Green Tribunal dismissed a Vanashakti and Aarey Conservation Group petition to declare Aarey a forest, saying it lacked jurisdiction. Both cases went to the Supreme Court Scroll.
On 30 August 2019 the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Tree Authority approved a proposal covering 2,702 trees. Citizens' groups protested at four spots in the city the next day The Quint. On 1 September nearly a thousand people formed a human chain near the site; on 8 September the turnout doubled, with a 3 km chain joined by Adivasi villagers Scroll. The Shiv Sena, then the BJP's partner in government and in control of the BMC, opposed the felling, with Aaditya Thackeray in the lead Down To Earth.
The government and MMRCL's case
The state and MMRCL said Aarey was not legally a forest, that the felling had full legal permission, and that the metro would cut far more carbon than the trees absorbed Government's position. On 15 September 2019 Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the land "belongs to the government and does not fall under forest area". He said about 13,000 objections had been received, 10,000 of them through "one Bengaluru-based website", and that the government had planted 23,000 trees in the area PTI via The Wire.
MMRCL promised to plant three times as many trees elsewhere in the city The Quint. At a town hall on 9 September, MMRCL chief Ashwini Bhide said that if the car shed was not built in Aarey, the metro line itself would not be made operational Scroll.
4 and 5 October 2019: the felling and the arrests
On 4 October a Bombay High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog dismissed the petitions against the felling: three according to The Wire, four according to Scroll. It refused to declare Aarey a forest, rejected Vanashakti's plea for an eco-sensitive zone and fined Shiv Sena corporator Yashwant Jadhav Rs 50,000 The Wire Scroll. The court said:
The greens (environmentalists) have failed. They have failed in the instant petition because they have lost touch with the procedure to be followed as per law. The clock cannot be put back.
Bombay High Court judgment, 4 October 2019, as quoted by The Wire
Cutting began at about 9.30 pm amid heavy police deployment. Resident Sushma Bhoye told The Wire that "at least 300 of them were axed in less than two hours" and that people who resisted were pushed out The Wire. Sabrang India reported that 31 people, including 9 women, were taken to Dahisar police station overnight and 8 more to Aarey police station Sabrang India.
On 5 October police cordoned off the colony and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. They arrested 29 people under IPC sections 332 and 353 (hurting or assaulting a public servant on duty) on the complaint of a 28-year-old woman constable who was allegedly injured in a scuffle. A magistrate sent the 29 to judicial custody and refused bail The Wire. Scroll later reported that 38 people were booked in all Scroll. NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad and Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi were among political leaders detained The Wire.
On 5 October a special High Court bench refused a stay, saying it could not act "on any oral understanding" The Wire. The arrested were granted bail on Sunday, 6 October Sabrang India.
The Supreme Court steps in
On 6 October law students led by Rishav Ranjan wrote to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The court registered the letter as a public interest case, "In Re Felling of Trees in Aarey Forest", and set up a special bench that evening Sabrang India LiveLaw. On 7 October Justices Arun Mishra and Ashok Bhushan said "Don't cut anything now", ordered that anyone still held be released on personal bonds, and listed the case for 21 October. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the bench nothing more would be cut; the state said all arrested protesters had already been released PTI via Tribune.
Counts differ. MMRCL tweeted that 2,141 had been felled, though the same PTI report quoted it as saying 2,185 were felled on 4 and 5 October PTI via Tribune. Sabrang India reported 2,134 in the first 24 hours, and the Supreme Court in 2022 recorded 2,144 LiveLaw.
Timeline
Felling begins
Hours after the High Court verdict, MMRCL starts cutting under police cover The Wire.
Supreme Court halt
Status quo ordered on a student's letter PTI via Tribune.
Thackeray stops work
New chief minister halts the Aarey car shed a day after taking office Down To Earth.
Shed moved to Kanjurmarg
800 acres of Aarey to be a reserve forest Scroll.
Back to Aarey
Shinde-Fadnavis government reverses the move; protests resume The Wire.
MMRCL fined
Rs 10 lakh penalty, but 177 trees allowed LiveLaw.
Both accounts
Protesters' account
Activists said MMRCL broke the rule requiring 15 days between the Tree Authority's order and actual felling, and opposition parties said a new order during the election Model Code of Conduct was improper The Wire Claim · Activists. They said the state rushed to cut before an appeal could reach the Supreme Court, though Chief Justice Nandrajog had orally said he hoped cutting would not start first Sabrang India.
At a press conference, the 29 arrested alleged they were shoved, beaten and that male police handled women protesters; Aarey resident Pramila Bhoir said she was pushed to the ground while singing protest songs. They said about 150 were detained and demanded an independent inquiry The Wire Claim · Arrested protesters.
Police and government account
Police booked the 29 for obstructing and assaulting public servants after a woman constable was allegedly injured, and imposed Section 144 to control the crowds The Wire Government's position. MMRCL's Ashwini Bhide called the 15-day claim "absolutely baseless": the order was issued on 13 September, the period ended on 28 September, and MMRCL waited for the High Court verdict. She added: "If you lose a battle in court, better to accept it honourably than to take it to street" The Wire.
No public police response to the specific assault allegations was found in the reports reviewed for this page No evidence.
The Thackeray U-turn and Kanjurmarg
After the October 2019 Assembly election, Uddhav Thackeray became chief minister of a Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress government. On 29 November 2019 he halted work on the Aarey car shed Down To Earth. On 1 December he said: "I have directed police officials to withdraw the cases registered against green activists… There will be no more cases against anyone now" Scroll.
On 11 October 2020 he announced that 800 acres of Aarey would be declared a reserve forest and the car shed moved to salt pan land at Kanjurmarg. The Centre said the 102-acre plot belonged to its salt commissioner. In December 2020 the Bombay High Court stayed the collector's order allotting the land and told the authorities to keep status quo Scroll; The Wire dates the stay to 14 December The Wire. Fadnavis had argued that Kanjurmarg would mean cutting more trees, delay and wasted money The Wire.
2022: back to Aarey, and fresh protests
Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis took office on 30 June 2022. Moving the car shed back to Aarey was one of their first decisions, and on 21 July the government formally lifted the stay on construction The Wire The Wire. Thackeray appealed: "Attack me, but don't attack Mumbai… Don't toy with the environment of Mumbai" The Wire.
Protesters gathered at Aarey on consecutive Sundays, 3 and 10 July; Aaditya Thackeray joined on 10 July The Quint. On 25 July police increased deployment, barricaded and diverted roads, and detained two protesters who had been served notices under Section 149 of the CrPC, PTI reported PTI via Deccan Herald.
Petitioners told the Supreme Court in August 2022 that tree cutting had resumed. MMRCL said only bushes, weeds and branches were removed and no tree had been cut since the court's November 2019 order LiveLaw Claim · MMRCL. On 24 August the court told MMRCL to strictly abide by that undertaking and warned of strict action for any violation PTI via Outlook.
The Supreme Court's later rulings
On 29 November 2022 Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha refused to stay the return to Aarey and let MMRCL apply to the Tree Authority to fell 84 trees for a ramp. The Solicitor General said 95% of the work was done and the project cost had risen from Rs 23,000 crore to Rs 37,000 crore because of litigation; activists' counsel Chander Uday Singh said those figures covered the whole line, not the shed, and cited committee reports favouring Kanjurmarg. The bench said courts "cannot be oblivious of the serious dislocations caused if the public investment… is disregarded", while adding that "all development must be sustainable" LiveLaw PTI via Deccan Herald.
The Tree Authority then approved 177 trees on 15 March 2023. At the end of March 2023 the Bombay High Court restrained MMRCL until it sought clarification from the Supreme Court Scroll. On 17 April 2023 the Supreme Court said MMRCL had tried "to overreach this court" and fined it Rs 10 lakh, payable to the Chief Conservator of Forests, but allowed the 177 trees to be felled because a stay would halt a public project. It asked IIT Bombay to verify afforestation compliance LiveLaw Down To Earth.
How can you move for felling anymore trees in excess of 84 trees? You're in contempt of our order. You cannot take this court for a ride.
CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, Supreme Court, 17 April 2023, as reported by LiveLaw
On 10 January 2025 Justices Abhay S. Oka and Aravind Kumar directed the BMC Tree Authority not to allow any further felling in Aarey without the court's permission, after MMRCL said no new proposal was pending PTI via Deccan Herald.
Outcome
- Arrests: 29 arrested and 38 booked in October 2019; all released on bail within days Scroll.
- Cases: The Thackeray government announced their withdrawal in December 2019 Scroll.
- Trees: 2,144 cut for the shed, and 212 more for the ramps, LiveLaw reported in March 2023 Scroll.
- Car shed: Built at Aarey. Metro Line 3's first phase, Aarey JVLR to BKC, opened to the public on 7 October 2024 PTI via Outlook, and the full line on 8 and 9 October 2025 JICA.
Where things stand in 2026
The suo motu case is still open and now also handles tree felling for other Mumbai projects. On 27 October 2025 the court found the state had not carried out compensatory afforestation "with the sincerity required" and objected to saplings as small as one foot. On 17 November 2025 it accepted a Chief Secretary's affidavit, made part of a 16 November 2025 Government Resolution, requiring native saplings at least 12 feet tall, seven-year survival, and geotagged public reporting; the affidavit cited the Aarey metro shed as a project needing felling in non-forest areas Supreme Court order, 17 Nov 2025. On 5 February 2026 it extended the BMC's time for afforestation linked to the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, warning of "exemplary cost" against officers in default Supreme Court order, 5 Feb 2026.
Questions people ask
Why were trees cut in Aarey forest?
To build a depot, or car shed, for Mumbai Metro Line 3. The BMC Tree Authority allowed MMRCL to remove 2,646 trees, and felling began on 4 October 2019 after the Bombay High Court dismissed challenges.
Is Aarey legally a forest?
The Bombay High Court refused to declare it one in October 2019, and the state said it was government land, not forest. In October 2020 the Thackeray government announced that 800 acres would be declared a reserve forest.
How many people were arrested at Aarey in 2019?
Police arrested 29 people on 5 October 2019 and booked 38 in all. They were released on bail within days, and the next government announced that the cases would be withdrawn.
Why did the car shed move to Kanjurmarg and back?
Uddhav Thackeray's government moved it to Kanjurmarg in 2020 to protect Aarey, but the Bombay High Court stayed the land allotment over the Centre's ownership claim. The Shinde-Fadnavis government moved it back to Aarey in July 2022, citing cost and delay.
Why was MMRCL fined Rs 10 lakh?
The Supreme Court had allowed it to seek permission for only 84 trees, but it asked the Tree Authority for 177. The court called this an overreach in April 2023, fined it, and still allowed the 177 trees to be cut.
Sources
- The Wire: Aarey: Protests intensify as MMRCL hacks trees, several activists arrested, 5 Oct 2019
- Sabrang India: Stop felling of trees in Mumbai's Aarey until further orders, release activists: SC, 7 Oct 2019
- Sabrang India: Aarey: Tree-cutting continues, sec 144 imposed, protesters arrested and denied bail, 5 Oct 2019
- PTI via Tribune: 2,141 trees cut in Aarey, says Mumbai Metro after SC stay, 7 Oct 2019
- The Wire: Aarey protesters allege police assaulted, abused them, 11 Oct 2019
- Scroll: Saving Aarey: Why a city with a weak protest culture is demonstrating, 15 Sep 2019
- The Quint: Protests erupt as BMC okays felling of 2,700 trees in Aarey forest, 31 Aug 2019
- PTI via The Wire: Mumbai's Aarey area is government land, not forest: Devendra Fadnavis, 15 Sep 2019
- Scroll: CM Uddhav Thackeray to withdraw cases against Aarey protestors, 2 Dec 2019
- Scroll: Bombay HC's decision to stop metro car shed work in Kanjurmarg 'unfortunate', says Shiv Sena, 17 Dec 2020
- The Wire: Mumbaikars enraged as new Maharashtra govt decides to shift metro car shed back to Aarey, 2 Jul 2022
- The Wire: Maharashtra govt lifts stay order on metro car shed construction in Aarey Colony, 21 Jul 2022
- The Quint: 'This is a fight for Mumbai': Aaditya Thackeray joins Aarey protests, 10 Jul 2022
- PTI via Deccan Herald: Heavy police deployment in Mumbai's Aarey colony; 2 held, 25 Jul 2022
- LiveLaw: No trees cut in Aarey, only bushes and branches removed, MMRCL tells Supreme Court, 5 Aug 2022
- PTI via Outlook: Strictly abide by undertaking that no trees would be cut in Aarey: SC, 24 Aug 2022
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court refuses to stay decision to allow metro car shed at Aarey, 29 Nov 2022
- PTI via Deccan Herald: SC permits Mumbai Metro to pursue plea for felling trees at Aarey Colony, 29 Nov 2022
- Scroll: Bombay HC halts felling of 177 trees at Aarey forest, 1 Apr 2023
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court imposes Rs 10 lakh fine on MMRCL, allows it to cut 177 trees, 17 Apr 2023
- Down To Earth: SC slaps Rs 10 lakh fine on Mumbai metro, permits felling of 177 trees, 17 Apr 2023
- Citizen Matters: Nine years of 'Save Aarey', 27 Dec 2023
- PTI via Outlook: Mumbai's first underground metro from BKC to Aarey opens for public, 7 Oct 2024
- PTI via Deccan Herald: No tree felling in Mumbai's Aarey without our nod: Supreme Court, 10 Jan 2025
- Scroll: Supreme Court blocks felling of trees in Mumbai's Aarey without its permission, 10 Jan 2025
- JICA: Mumbai Metro Line 3 fully operational, 9 Oct 2025
- Supreme Court of India: Order in In Re Felling of Trees in Aarey Forest, SMWP (C) 2/2019, 17 Nov 2025
- Supreme Court of India: Order in In Re Felling of Trees in Aarey Forest, SMWP (C) 2/2019, 5 Feb 2026