Gurugram, May 23 -- The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has sought permission from the forest department to cut 1,800 trees, which are located along the metro alignment from the Millennium City metro station to the Sector 9 metro station, officials said adding, that the trees identified needed to be felled to expedite the construction of the Gurugram metro. GMDA officials, aware of the matter, said that out of the 1,800 trees, about 1,300 are located in the section between Millennium City Centre and Hero Honda Chowk, while another 501 are located between Hero Honda Chowk and the proposed metro station at Sector 9. "The trees were identified during a survey conducted by the project contractor of GMRL and only 1,801 trees out of the estimated 5,000 on this stretch will be felled. In lieu of the felling of trees, the GMRL has already agreed to plant trees as compensatory afforestation on the land that will be identified by the forest department," said a senior GMDA official aware of the matter. Another senior GMDA official said that the GMRL Board has already approved planting of trees in lieu of the trees that will be cut for building the metro track and stations. "The board has decided to plant these trees for which 17 hectares of land will be required in collaboration with the forest department and GMDA," he said. The Rs.5,452 crore Gurugram Metro extension project, whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 16 last year, will extend the metro line from Millennium City Centre to Cyber Hub via Old Gurugram, covering a total distance of 28.5 kilometres with a total of 27 elevated stations. A forest department official confirmed the development and said that permission for felling the trees located along the metro corridor is under consideration. "The application is under consideration and a site inspection has been conducted. The land for compensatory afforestation for these trees will probably be in Sectors 58 to 115," he said. Apart from the metro corridor, the GMDA has also sought permission to fell trees for other infrastructure projects such as the foot over bridge opposite Sheetla Mata temple, master sector dividing road of Sector 86,90 near the Dadi Sati Chowk, from Iffco Chowk to Golf Course Road and a few in other parts of the city. According to the figures available, the authority has sought permission to fell around 2,200 trees in Gurugram city....