Supreme Court Reviews Aarey Forest Tree-Felling Plea for National Creative Tech Institute

Supreme Court Issues Notice on Aarey Tree-Felling Application

On September 16, 2026, a supreme court bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana issued a notice regarding an application to fell and translocate trees near Mumbai's Aarey Forest. The plea, filed by the Tree Authority of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), seeks permission to fell 124 trees and translocate 333 others to facilitate the construction of a specialized educational facility.

The project in question is the National Centre of Excellence for Animation, VFX, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality. CJI Surya Kant described the initiative as a project of "eminent national importance," signaling the court's recognition of the facility's potential value to the country's creative technology sector.

The Conflict: Urban Development vs. Environmental Preservation

The case highlights a recurring tension between infrastructure growth and ecological conservation. A primary point of contention is the exact location of the project. Senior Advocate Dhruv Mehta, representing the Tree Authority, argued that the land is situated within the Film City and does not fall inside the Aarey Forest area. However, legal representatives for the NGO Vanashakti have questioned this claim, noting that previous projects have similarly claimed to be outside forest boundaries only to be later found within them.

The legal necessity for this application stems from a prior January 10, 2025 order, which prohibited the MCGM Tree Authority from granting any tree-felling permissions in the Aarey Colony area without the explicit leave of the court.

Proposed Compensatory Measures

To offset the environmental impact, the project proponent has committed to a significant afforestation drive. Key details of the proposal include:

• Tree Planting: An undertaking to plant 5,000 trees through the Maharashtra Forest Development Corporation.
• Independent Oversight: The court indicated that an independent agency would be tasked with overseeing the compensatory afforestation to ensure the balance between development and preservation.
• Expert Verification: The Tree Authority has expressed openness to an independent report from institutions such as IIT Bombay, VGIT, or BNHS to verify the number of trees requiring removal.

Next Steps and Legal Timeline

The supreme court has not yet granted final permission to fell the trees. The bench has directed the Maharashtra government and intervenors to file their formal responses within two weeks. The final decision will likely depend on the verification of the land's status—whether it is truly within Film City or part of the protected Aarey Forest—and the viability of the proposed afforestation plan.