Metro-3 line: Mumbaiites file 100 objections to cutting trees in Aarey; last day is Friday

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has proposed to cut a total of 3,130 trees in Aarey to build a Metro car shed.

With two more days still left to submit suggestions/objections on cutting the first batch of 444 trees in Aarey for the construction of Metro-3 line (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has already received more than 100 objections from citizens, said civic officials. Last week, the BMC had issued a public notice calling for suggestions and objections on the cutting of trees.

Men work at Metro construction site in Aarey in Mumbai. (HT FILE)

The hearing for the objections will be held on Friday. A senior official from the gardens department of the BMC said, “We will arrive at a final figure on Friday but the number of objections we have received is huge.”

Metro-3 is a fully underground line connecting south Mumbai to the western suburbs. The 33.5-km-long line will have 27 stations. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has proposed to cut a total of 3,130 trees in Aarey to build a Metro car shed. This proposal has been strongly opposed by green activists.

Zoru Bhatena, an activist with the Save Aarey group, said they are expecting the numbers to go up by Friday.

“We are definitely spreading the message on social media and we are hoping that people send their objections in large numbers.”

On Friday, Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and senior corporators from Shiv Sena are also expected to visit Aarey. Sena, which is the ruling party in the BMC, has been staunchly opposing the cutting of trees in Aarey to build a car-shed. The Sena-led improvements committee in BMC has also rejected several proposals related to Metro.

On the same day, the National Green Tribunal in Pune is also expected to hear NGO Vanashakti’s complaint alleging illegal construction by MMRCL at Aarey.