Aarey is a green zone now, MMRDA will need BMC nod for Metro headquarters

The DP 2034 allows only three projects – Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro-3 depot, rehabilitation of adivasis (tribals) in Sanjay Gandhi National Park and a proposed zoo – in Aarey Colony.

The development plan 2034 released on Wednesday marks Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon as green area, restricting construction there. This leads to another question: Where will the Metro Bhawan, a centralised operation and control centre (OCC) planned in the green lung, come up?

Last year, the MMRDA came up with a plan to make a labour camp, casting yard and Metro Bhawan, a centralised operation and control centre (OCC), in Aarey. (FILE)

The DP 2034 allows only three projects – Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro-3 depot, rehabilitation of adivasis (tribals) in Sanjay Gandhi National Park and a proposed zoo – in Aarey Colony. This means the BJP-controlled Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), nodal agency for all Metro projects, will now have to seek nod from the Shiv Sena-controlled civic body to set up the Metro headquarters, making it a possible flashpoint between allies Shiv Sena and BJP.

Last year, the MMRDA came up with a plan to make a labour camp, casting yard and Metro Bhawan, a centralised operation and control centre (OCC), in Aarey. MMRDA has sought 20,387sqm or 5.03 acres for the three components, of which 7,500sqm would be for the proposed OCC, senior MMRDA officials said. “Aarey is now a green area, with a nod only for three projects. For any other plan, the agency will have to approach the civic body,” said Nitin Kareer, principal secretary, urban development department.

“We are going ahead with appointing a consultant to prepare a detailed project report for the OCC. We will follow up with the dairy development board to get the plot. However, it will take time,” an MMRDA official said.

Pravin Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, in-charge of the metro projects said, “We cannot react on the DP at this moment.”

The Sena has always opposed the plan for a Metro car depot in Aarey and had rejected the implementing agency’s proposals to initiate work in Aarey.

Meanwhile, Stalin D, director of Vanashakti, which has been protesting against the plan, said, “Aarey is an eco-sensitive zone. This puts it outside the purview of the state government. The state government’s announcements need to be taken with a gunny bag of salt,” he said.