Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray stays Metro shed work at Aarey Milk Colony, orders review

Mumbai In his first major decision as chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray stayed the work on Metro-3 car shed at Aarey Milk Colony on Friday, fulfilling the Shiv Sena’s

Mumbai In his first major decision as chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray stayed the work on Metro-3 car shed at Aarey Milk Colony on Friday, fulfilling the Shiv Sena’s promise of “saving Mumbai’s green lungs”.

HT Image

“I have stayed the work of the Metro-3 car shed at Aarey. The work will not happen without a thorough review. I will not tolerate killing of trees in the dead of the night. Not one leaf will be plucked from the trees. I will do whatever is necessary to stop that,” said Uddhav, within a few hours of taking charge as the chief minister.

While the move has been lauded by green activists, who have been battling the government to save green spaces in the city, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) – the authority implementing the underground Metro-3 project – has already cut 2,141 of the 2,185 trees needed to be felled at Aarey. MMRC undertook the work on October 4 and 5, after the Bombay high court (HC) had dismissed a bunch of petitions challenging the tree cutting at Aarey.

MMRC has completed 70% tunnelling for the 33.5-km-long Colaba-Bandra-Seepz line and officials had earlier said without the car shed in place, work is likely to face major delays, as trains will be stationed there. MMRC is expected to get the first train in November 2020, and it will need two years to construct the car shed.

Thackeray, however, clarified that he had not stayed “development work”, and construction of the Metro-3 line will continue uninterrupted. “We will decide if the car shed needs to be constructed at Aarey. We are neither against development work, nor have we stopped the Metro work. The stay is only for the car shed work until we conduct a review,” he said.

Mantralaya officials, who did not wish to be named, said the CM issued directives to MMRC to conduct a review. While no deadline has been set for completing the review, officials said the CM wants it done before December 13, the next date of hearing in the Metro car shed at Aarey case in Supreme Court.

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, under whose leadership the work was speeded up, called the decision “unfortunate”. “It is unfortunate that state government stayed Aarey Metro car shed work, inspite of Honorable Supreme Court and High Court orders. This shows state government is not serious about Mumbai infrastructure projects. And ultimate sufferer is common Mumbaikar only. #SaveMetroSaveMumbai,” Fadnavis tweeted.

“Japan’s JICA has funded Rs15,000 crore for this Metro project on nominal interest rates. Such decisions will demotivate investors to come forward in future and all infrastructure projects will get stalled which are already delayed for so long in previous 15 year rule. #SaveMetroSaveMumbai,” the former CM said in another tweet.

Green activists, however, were pleased by the new government’s decision.

Zoru Bathena, one of the petitioners in the HC and SC against the car shed at Aarey, said, “It is a welcome move. The chief minister is very clear in his directives. He has stayed the work… This is in complete contrast to how the BJP government was treating us, as it had said it will 100% go ahead with the car shed work. Sena has always supported the issue.”

Before the Assembly elections, Shiv Sena had publicly criticised the felling of trees at Aarey Milk Colony, with many senior Sena leaders and corporators participating in the protests. Sena had even announced declaring Aarey a forest after coming to power, although the issue had not found any mention in the party’s election manifesto.

Amrita Bhattacharjee, another petitioner in the Aarey case, said, “The stay is welcome. This area is a forest land as well as catchment of the Mithi River. Destruction of this area will lead to severe floods. We also demand the area should be restored to its original state.”

NCP MP Supriya Sule said the decision is important, considering climate change and for Mumbaiites. “Environment has become a big challenge for all of us and thus when trees were chopped for the car shed, I, too, participated in the protests. Today’s decision to stay the car shed work at Aarey Colony is very crucial. Development is necessary, but environmental balance has to be maintained. I am sure chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his ministers will study the issue in detail, take pro-development decisions and strike a balance with environmental concerns,” Sule said in a video statement released on Friday.