Mumbai, June 23 -- The process of felling 1,406 trees for the proposed Metro-9 car depot at Dongri in Bhayander West has been put on hold within a fortnight of permission being granted, owing to stiff resistance among residents of the area. A petition opposing the axing of trees for the car depot has garnered over 21,000 signatures and residents of the Uttan-Dongri area have met a slew of officials over the past two weeks, demanding the depot be shifted to an alternative location where such large-scale tree-felling would not be needed. On June 5, marked as World Environment Day, the MBMC had given permission to the MMRDA to fell 1,406 trees in the first phase of construction of the depot. On Sunday, over 500 people participated in a public meeting at St Joseph High School at Uttan where they vowed to intensify the stir in case efforts are made to restart tree-felling without allaying their concerns. P4...