Citizens unite to save city's green lungs

Mumbai: Citizens and environmentalists on Monday formed a human chain at Aarey Colony in opposition to the Union government’s decision to give clearance for the construction of a metro car depot there.

The Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) last week had issued a notification paving way for the state government to go ahead with the construction of metro car depot inside Aarey Colony.

Citizens and environmentalists have been opposing the depot, citing that it will disturb the wildlife and environment at large inside the colony, the only green lung left in the city.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which is executing the Colaba-Seepz Metro-3 corridor, has been mired in controversy since the past few years from, as Girgaon residents said it would displace them. Environmentalists in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) have also challenged the car depot.

“We have been saying for the two years that we are not against the project but the construction of metro car depot inside Aarey Colony, which is in the buffer area of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). The MoEF in its notification issued has said that it paid heed to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the MMRC, but it has failed to acknowledge thousands of letters it received from citizen and activists. It made a mockery of inviting suggestions and objections,” said Stalin Dayanand, environmentalist from NGO Vanshakti.

In the wake of protests, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had, in 2015, formed a committee to review the location of the car depot.

The committee also gave few suggestions, however, Mr Fadnavis himself later ruled out the suggestions, citing that they were not feasible.

The environmentalists have also claimed that the MMRC is flouting the NGT’s orders by going ahead with construction and not maintaining the status quo.

Meanwhile, MMRC chief Ashwini Bhide has said that construction work would be conducted by the book.