Aarey car shed area to be given to forest department: Aaditya Thackeray

Amid speculation that the Colaba Bandra Seepz (CBS) Metro line-3 car depot will be moved out of Aarey, Environment and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray, speaking exclusively to mid-day, clarified that the majority of the car depot area will be soon handed over to the forest department.

Aaditya Thackeray, said, "We are committed to ensuring that the biodiversity of the location is protected. While we shift the car depot, minor and final technicalities are being sorted out, so that the majority of the area, currently reserved for the Aarey car depot, can be handed over to the forest department." There are many half-constructed concrete structures inside the car depot site that the forest department can utilise when the area is handed over to them.

Deadlock between state and Centre

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has hinted that the car depot of Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli Metro line-6 would be shifted out of Kanjurmarg as there is a deadlock between the state government and Centre over the ownership of the land, where the car depot for line 6 and line 3 was going to come up.

Sources also told this newspaper that the alternative location for the car depot of both the lines have been identified and the authorities are working out a plan.

‘Only assurances, no action'

On Sunday, many people associated with the Save Aarey group had gathered to protest at a picnic point in the Aarey Milk Colony. The people who took part in the protest alleged that the MVA government has done little to take the car shed out of Aarey. They added that there are only assurances, no action from the government's side.

Stalin D from NGO Vanashakti said, "We feel let down by the MVA government which seems helpless to resolve the issue. The central government has put the spoke in the wheels of Mumbai's Metro projects for political gains. We believe the state has the power to overcome this stumbling block and it is not using the powers for the acquisition of land. Aarey will never be accepted as the site for the Metro car shed. We request the chief minister to personally intervene and resolve the issue."

Green activist writes to CM

On February 25, environmentalist Zoru Bhathena has written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Aaditya Thackeray, MMRDA Commissioner SVR Srinivas and Managing Director, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL), Ranjit Singh Deol alleging breach of government orders by MMRCL and MMRDA at Aarey.

"As per the GR dated January 6, 2021, a committee was set up to recommend alternate depot sites for the Metro 3 line (to shift the depot out of Aarey). In the report dated January 21, 2021, the Sanjay Kumar CS Committee recommended an integrated depot at Kanjur for Metro Lines 3, 4 and 6. The committee also recommended the integration of Metro lines 3 and 6 at elevated SEEPZ station (at JVLR in Aarey). The recommendations were duly approved by your government and both MMRDA and MMRCL were directed to implement the same," the letter read.

The letter further added, "Last week MMRCL laid their surface-level tracks at the tunnel exit ramp at Aarey and we are shocked to see that the tracks are heading in a direction towards Aarey picnic point [purportedly for receiving the metro train rakes] with no provision for any elevated tracks to take the Metro line to Kanjur. We also inspected MMRDA's elevated Metro 6 line on JVLR [SEEPZ to Saki Vihar stations] and found that there is simply no provision built anywhere to connect the Metro 3 line [from Aarey] with the Metro 6 line [on JVLR]. The orders issued by your government, to move the depot out of Aarey and to merge the Metro 3 and 6 lines, are not being implemented by MMRCL nor by MMRDA. We, therefore, request you to take urgent and strict action in the matter."