Metro III hearing: Activists see red over absence of green experts

Was the Chief Minister merely making empty promises when he assured citizens that an expert panel would hear out their concerns about the proposed Metro III car depot that threatens 2,298 trees in Aarey Milk Colony?

The Metro III car depot, proposed to be built at this site in Aarey Colony, will result in 2,298 trees being axed, pushing the local wildlife out of habitat. File pic

This is the question being raised by activists who are now feeling short-changed after Friday's hearing, which was attended by only two members from the special committee, while other members including those with environmental expertise were conspicuously missing.

Since the CM appointed the panel on March 2, this is the first time the members interacted with Aarey Colony residents and activists opposed to the Metro III car shed. Of the eight-member team, three were appointed for their environmental background, so they could better understand citizens' concerns about how the project could threaten Aarey's biodiversity ('Find other sites for Metro car depot, CM tells experts', March 3).

However, none of them were present during the stakeholders' hearing, which, according to many, defeats the very purpose of setting up the panel and conducting hearings. "Even though the committee listened to us carefully, I was shocked that a few members of the expert committee were absent during the hearing.

mid-day's report on March 3

This proves that it's nothing but a symbolic committee that was formed without any real purpose," said a stakeholder who had attended the meeting at the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) headquarters in Bandra-Kurla Complex. Only three panel members were present there, including MMRDA chief UPS Madan and BMC commissioner Sitaram Kunte.

Also present was Ashwini Bhide, the managing director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which is handling the project. Several activists in the Save Aarey campaign such as Manish Sethi, Rishi Aggarwal, Stalin Dayanand, Anand Pendharkar and Biju Augustine had gone for the hearing thinking that it would be an opportunity to effectively put forward their point of view about the environmental cost of the Metro project.

"We explained why we are opposed to the car depot at Aarey, and the committee listened to our stand carefully and also noted down our suggestions. What was surprising was that the expert members from the environment field were not present during the hearing," said Manish Sethi, a member of the Save Aarey Milk Colony group.

According to another group member, Stalin Dayanand, who is also project director at the NGO Vanashakti, the activists asked the panel why the other members were absent. "They responded saying the other members were not able to make it due to prior engagements.

They said our suggestions would be forwarded to the members who had missed the hearing and all the points would be considered while preparing the final report," Dayanand said. mid-day attempted to contact municipal commissioner Kunte, who was present for the hearing, but he was unavailable for comment.