Repair roads in residential areas of Aarey Colony urgently: HC

Bombay HC directs urgent repair of roads in Aarey Colony residential areas, emphasizing wildlife preservation during reconstruction.

MUMBAI: Addressing mounting concerns over the dismal state of roads in Aarey Colony, the Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the state government to urgently repair and reconstruct roads in residential areas of the colony.

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The direction was issued in response to a public interest litigation filed by Binod Agarwal, a former Indian Navy staffer residing in Royal Palms, Aarey Colony. The petition stated that roads in the Aarey Colony which served residential areas were in riddled with potholes and sought the court’s intervention in their repair and reconstruction.

Earlier, on March 6, the court had directed the state government’s department of dairy development to expedite the reconstruction or strengthening of nearly 37 km of internal roads in Aarey Colony. The total length of roads in the colony under the state’s control measures around 45 km, of which 1.5 km serves residential areas.

Since the roads fall within the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), repair/ reconstruction activities require clearances to ensure minimal environmental impact. The court had underscored the significance of preserving wildlife and ecology while addressing public interest in maintaining proper internal roads.

In compliance with the court’s order, additional government pleader Milind More presented a letter dated April 26 to the executive engineer of the public works department in Aarey-Goregaon. Issued by the member secretary of Sanjay Gandhi National Park Environmental Sensitive Zone Monitoring Committee, the letter underscored the necessity of repairing and upgrading roads measuring 45 km inside Aarey Colony.

Given the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the repair work was contingent upon approval of the Election Commission of India. The commission clarified in court that it had no objection to the proposal for road repairs, with the stipulation that no individual or entity should seek to exploit the project for political gain.

Subsequently, a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Arif S Doctor stated, “Please ensure no udghatan (inauguration) ceremony and abide by this (ECI letter) and get repairs/ reconstruction done at the earliest and avoid all kinds of pressures. It is in the interest of departmental officials.”

While concerns were raised about mitigating measures for wildlife protection during road repairs, More assured the court that all necessary precautions would be taken. He submitted that repairs on the 1.5 km road stretch in residential areas would be taken up forthwith and repairs in the remaining part of 45 km roads would be completed within two years. Additionally, the BMC assured it would repair a 7-kilometre stretch of road within its jurisdiction within the colony by January 25, 2025.

Subsequently, the court disposed the PIL, emphasising the importance of completing road repairs expeditiously while following all relevant procedures.