Metro car shed will now be located at Kanjurmarg, additional 200 acre at Aarey Colony to be declared forest, announces Maha CM
More than 10 months after he stayed its construction in the wake of protests by environmentalists, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday announced that the proposed car shed for the Metro phase-III project would now be located at Kanjurmarg in north-east Mumbai to save forests at Aarey Colony at Goregaon in north Mumbai, where the project was initially located.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis — under whose regime the Mumbai Metro –III car shed construction started — slammed the Uddhav Government for its decision to shift the project, saying its re-location would result in an additional cost of Rs 4000 crore.
Addressing the people across the State through social media, Uddhav said the Maharashtra Government would not spend any money for acquiring the land for shifting the Metro phase-III car shed project from Goregaon and locating it at Kanjurmarg as it owned land at the new location.
“We will now shift the car shed for the Metro phase-III project from Goregaon and locate it at Kanjurmarg. We will not be spending even paisa to acquire the land, as we have our land at Kanjurmarg. The structure that was earlier constructed for the car shed will be utilised for some other purpose.
“Since the State Government has invested Rs 100 crore on the construction of the structure, we will utilise the structure constructed for the car shed at Goregaon for some other purpose,” the CM said.
Uddhav said his Government had declared earlier 600 acre at Aarey Colony as forest area.
“We will now add another 200 acre area to the earlier 600 acre and declare a total of 800 acre area as forest area at Aarey Colony. The State Government will not do anything that would affect the lives of Adivasis living in the Aarey forest area. We will take all steps to protect the animals in the Aarey forests,” he said.
“After the shifting of proposed car shed Metro phase-III, the two Metro corridors —Colaba-Bandra-Seepz (Line 3) and Swami Samarth Nagar-Vikhroli (Line 6) will be integrated,” Uddhav said.
The CM — who in his first major decision taken after assuming the highest office in the State had on November 29 last year stayed the work on the construction of a car shed for Metro phase-III at Aarey Colony in the wake of Shiv Sena-supported protests — said his Government had already withdrawn cases filed against all the green activists who had opposed the location of Metro car shed at Aarey Colony.
It may be recalled the MVA Government’s decision to stay the construction of Metro phase-III car shed project and order a review of the project should be seen in the developments that took place in the run-up to the October 21 Maharashtra Assembly polls.
The Shiv Sena had vehemently opposed “illegal” tree felling at Aarey Colony to pave way for the construction of a car shed for Metro phase-III.
After the Bombay High Court on October 4, 2019 dismissed all petitions challenging the proposed felling of 2,646 trees in Aarey Colony at Goregaon, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) felled 2,141 trees on October 4 and 5 following the HC’s order upholding of the BMC’s Tree Authority’s permission to fell 2,185 trees at Aarey Colony.
After the MMRCL felled the trees indiscriminately at Aarey Colony on the night of October 4, 2019, the Shiv Sena, which was ruling the State in alliance with the BJP then, had two days later joined the activists and various political parties against the tree felling and also the arrest of 29 activists who had resisted the tree felling by the workers hired to fell the trees on the previous night.
Yuv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray, who had steadily been opposing the tree felling at Aarey Colony and was among the first lot to raise a protest against massive tree felling that took place on the night of October 4 2019, had tweeted, “A project that should be executed with pride, the Metro 3, @MumbaiMetro3 has to do it in the cover of the night, with shame, slyness and heavy cop cover. The project, supposed to get Mumbai clean air, is hacking down a forest with a leopard, rusty spotted cat and more”.
On the following day, Aditya had come out with one more tweet, “The use of a large number of police personnel. Hacking trees in the dead of the night, even after winning in court (then why not broad daylight) and detention of peaceful protesters and citizens. Who is authorising this? During Code of Conduct? All these powers handed to MMRC?”
Later on October 7 2019, the Supreme Court had restrained the MMRCL from cutting any more trees at Aarey Colony till October 21. Hours after the apex court restrained it from cutting any more trees till October. On its part, MMRCL had said that while it “respected” the apex court’s order, it had already felled 2,141 trees on October 4 and 5 following the Bombay High court’s order upholding of the BMC’s Tree Authority’s permission to fell 2,185 trees at Aarey Colony.
However, on October 21, 2019 the Supreme Court clarified that the controversial Metro car shed project in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony could continue, but the freeze on tree cutting would remain. The apex court had also asked for a White Paper on the issue, seeking details on the trees cut, transplanted and those that survived the transplant.
Subsequently, a day after it assumed office, the Shiv Sena-led MVA Government assumed office had on November 29 last year, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray stayed the work on the construction of a car shed for Metro phase-III at Aarey Colony in north Mumbai, pending a total review of the project.
Within a couple hours after assuming the office at Mantralaya (State Secretariat), Uddhav said, “I believe in fulfilling promises I make... I have been thinking what to do for Mumbai... You may remember the Mumbai car shed issue had generated considerable heat during the elections.. As a first, I have stayed the Metro car shed at Aarey Colony. The car shed work will not resume till we take a full review of the project.”
Speaking to mediapersons after he was felicitated by the State Secretariat and Legislature Reporters’ Association on his assuming the office, Uddhav said: “This (the review of Metro car shed work) is essential. I read news reports today that some trees were felled at Aarey Colony last night. I will not allow this kind of butchering of trees. I will take a total review of the whole thing,” the Chief Minister had said.
Indicating that he was per se not against the Metro project, Uddhav had said, “Whatever necessary will happen. I am all for development. I have not given any stay on the development work. But, I do not want any development that comes at the cost of our precious assets. Hence I have given direction to the people concerned that not even a leaf is removed from Aarey Colony”.
“Unfortunate decision to shift Metro CarShed from Aarey to Kanjurmarg and that too just to satisfy ego. This decision will increase the cost of the project by at least Rs 4000 crore and this cost escalation is assessed by the committee appointed by this Government,” Fadnavis tweeted.
“This means that the Metro project, which would have been in the service of Mumbaikars just next year, has now been postponed indefinitely. Rs 400 crore was already spent for Aarey Car Shed, Rs 1300 crore wasted due to staying of project & additional cost escalation of Rs 4000 crore... Rs 2400 crore cost burden if in case Kanjurmarg land dispute remains as it was. What will be today’s cost?,” the former chief minister tweeted.
“Metro project delayed for indefinite period. What exactly does the state Govt want to achieve by blocking the seamless journey of Mumbaikars? MVA Govt misleading Mumbaikars,” Fadnavis added.
