Forced to clarify, BJP says Aarey is not a forest, option was unviable

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday on Sunday issued a statement, explaining why the car shed for the Metro 3 corridor is being constructed at Aarey

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday on Sunday issued a statement, explaining why the car shed for the Metro 3 corridor is being constructed at Aarey Colony and stating that cutting of trees at the spot is not illegal. Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) chief Ashwini Bhide, in a tweet, said that sometimes to construct something, destruction is “inevitable.”

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The government had come under fire by activists and opposition parties after MMRC started cutting trees at Aarey Colony late on Friday night.

“MMRC has already filed and presented their case on how the eight alternatives were technically not feasible and how it was not possible and desirable to shift Metro-3 Car Depot from Aarey Milk Colony to any other place. [The] Supreme Court [had] accepted MMRC’s say in this matter and dismissed the interlocutory application,” said the BJP statement. “Thus, the issues of suitability of Aarey Milk Colony land as Metro-3 car depot location and purported availability of other alternatives have been settled by Supreme Court with finality. It is a matter of record that Aarey Milk Colony belongs to [the] dairy development department of state government and has been used for dairy activities since 1950s. It is not a forest.”

“There is no reason that the car depot would increase pollution level due to cutting of trees. While we need to cut 2,200 trees from the car depot, 13,000 additional trees are going to [be] planted afresh. In addition to that, MMRC has already planted more than 23,000 trees within city, of which 21,000 trees are in degraded areas of Borivli National Park…in the vicinity of Metro-3 Car depot. Reduction in pollution due to Metro-3 will substantially compensate the negative impact of tree cutting for car depot,” the statement concluded.

VBA chief detained

Mumbai Police on Sunday detained Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar, who visited Aarey Milk Colony to protest the cutting of trees. Ambedkar tweeted, “The @VBAforIndia has been against the Aarey tree-cutting from the start. I went there to protest & ask the govt some valid questions. I have been detained & not arrested. I am currently at Powai police station. Don’t believe rumours & I appeal to everyone to maintain law & order.”