MMRC insists that Aarey Colony is goverment's property

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which is looking after execution of the proposed Colaba-Bandra-Seepz

Metro 3, refuses to budge from its stance that Aarey Colony belongs to the state government. MMRC is also claiming that the property card of 20 hectare land which they want for the Metro car depot states that it is reserved for activities related to animal husbandry and dairy and belongs to the state government.

Speaking to The Asian Age, managing director of MMRC, Ashwini Bhide, said, “It is good that after environmentalists protested the Metro car depot in Aarey Colony, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has intervened in the matter. It is better to fight in court than simply fighting in the media. We will fight in NGT, and we are hopeful of getting justice.”

Several NGOs have been protesting MMRC’s decision to have a Metro car depot in Aarey Colony saying MMRC has selected the largest green cover of the city without considering alternatives.

In October this year, an expert committee constituted by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, gave two alternatives; one, a major car depot at Kanjurmarg along with a mini car depot at Aarey Colony and the other, a full-fledged double-deck car depot at Aarey Colony which would consume less space and require less number of trees to be axed.

“Though there is going to be a car depot at Kanjurmarg, we will need one at Aarey Colony for parking 16 metro trains, each having eight rakes,” said Ms Bhide.

“We are not going to axe more than 500 trees and it is a fact that every project requires trees to be axed. Nowhere in India there is a rule that trees cannot be axed,” she added. “They have to be uprooted and we will follow process for the same. Meanwhile, we are hoping to get done the bidding process for Metro 3 in one month and the issue of Metro car depot will be fought simultaneously,” she said.