Mumbai: The fate of the Aarey Metro carshed will be decided on March 20, as the matter goes for the final hearing.
A division bench of Justice Satyaranjan Dharm-adhikari and Justice Prakash Naik heard a petition filed by activist Zoru Bhathena challenging the notification of the state government allowing construction of metro carshed in Aarey Colony on Tuesday.
The Bombay high court observed that an order should be passed soon as lot of construction work has been going on in Aarey Milk Colony. While hearing the petition, the judges remarked that the metro work has to be carried out at the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation’s (MMRC) own risk as it would have to restore the land if the court does not allow the carshed at the site.
During the hearing, the judges also rapped the metro rail authority, asking how the metro was allowed to be built on a non-development zone in the first place.
While the MMRC maintained that the metro project had been proposed in the interest of the public as it would reduce the number of private vehicles on the roads, the judges seemed unconvinced, stating that lakhs of cars are added every year on the city’s roads.
“Today Aarey is being taken for the metro, tomorrow it will be forests and then the national park later. A line must be drawn to this as every time the government will say that the development is for larger group of public,” the court remarked.
“We pointed out to the court that metro work was progressing rapidly in Aarey. The court made it clear that the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation has to carry out the work at its own risk, as it will have to restore the plot completely if the car shed is not allowed. We are now waiting for the final hearing,” said Mr Bhathena.
