Mumbai: ‘Aarey car shed a scam of enormous proportions’

Flashin copies of mid-day, a group of green activists committed to saving a portion of Aarey Milk Colony marked for the Metro-3 car shed sharpened their attack on the government calling the move a plot to grab land. Through mid-day's front-page report on Friday, they sought to highlight the sighting of five leopards and other animals at the car depot site.

The elusive jungle cat, mongoose and monitor lizards have also been captured by camera traps at the site, this newspaper has reported. Soon after the BJP and the Sena group led by Eknath Shinde formed the government in Maharashtra, it reversed the decision of the previous government to scrap the Metro car depot at Aarey, upsetting activists and nature lovers.

Addressing the media, the activists said the project at Aarey is what they called a huge scam. They said they will move the Supreme Court and produce documents to back their claims.

Also read: Mumbai: Metro 3 shed site in Aarey home to five leopards

Stalin D of NGO Vanashakti said, "The shifting of the car shed back to Aarey has a bigger story. According to records, 1 crore sq feet of land will be open for development which costs Rs 60,000 to Rs 1 lakh crore."

He said, "A high-level committee appointed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi sarkar in its report had said that the car shed at Kanjurmarg was beneficial. Even during the tenure of the Fadanvis government in 2015, a technical committee also recommended Kanjurmarg as the first choice and directed the then state government to make the land available for Metro 3 car shed."

Stalin said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claims the Kanjur plot belongs to a private party. "But the plot belongs to the state government."

"Thus Aarey becomes the crux of this real estate bonanza. Unfortunately, this scam only benefits a few," said Stalin, adding, "Only 300 trees have been cut there. Even the forest is visible in the proposed area. Before the plot for the car shed the state forest department was ready to propose the Aarey colony as an eco-sensitive zone. But then the Fadanvis government removed 160 acres for an eco-sensitive zone," said Stalin.

Rohit Joshi, another activist, said, "We found lots of documents which support our claim that Metro 3 car shed can be shifted to Kanjurmarg. We will produce these documents in the [Supreme] Court. Currently, the government is claiming that the plot will be used only for a car shed but in the future, the premises may be used commercially," Joshi added.

Green warrior Zoru Bhathena said they are not opposed to a car shed anywhere outside Aarey. "Instead of having car sheds at different places for each Metro line, KanjurMarg is the best option for an integrated car shed for Metro 3, 4, 6, and 14 projects which will save land." He added, "There is a reservation on the plot which is a car shed and ancillary. What is the meaning of ancillary? It's supposed to be commercial development."

Anandrao Mogha, an Aarey local, said, "This forest has been preserved by our ancestors. It should be preserved. If a car shed comes up there, we will suffer the most. The government has threatened the existence of this forest. The car shed should be removed from Aarey."