Mumbai: State clears resumption of Metro-3 car shed work at Aarey

Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis at Raj Bhavan. File pic

The construction of the Metro 3 car depot at Aarey will begin soon, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Thursday, confirming that the government has given the official nod to resume the work. Meanwhile, his deputy, Devendra Fadnavis, dismissed former environment minister Aaditya Thackeray's allegations that Mithi river would flood because of the car shed.

The previous government had shifted the car shed site to Kanjurmarg, following protests against disturbing the ecosystem in Aarey. Environmentalists and local residents have protested again after the new government, soon after being sworn-in last month, announced it was moving the depot back to Aarey.

Appealing to the activists on Thursday, Shinde said, "The construction work [on car shed site] will resume soon. Any further delay will escalate the environment-friendly project's cost and affect the international debt. The additional burden will also affect other state projects. We have considered all aspects before making the decision."

Also read: Mumbai: ‘Aarey car shed a scam of enormous proportions'

Police barricade the green activists protesting against the Metro 3 car shed project, on July 3. Pic/Shadab Khan

Deputy CM Devendra Fadanavis said the project was cleared by the Supreme Court, and "if someone is trying to stop it despite the highest clearance (of the SC), their intentions are not good." The government respects the environmentalists and agrees that they are free to express their opinion, he added.

Digging up history, he said, Prithviraj Chavan's [Congress] government had first approved the Aarey site. "When we had arranged for the international loan (from Japan), we explored the Kanjurmarg option, too, but a committee headed by [then chief secretary] Ajoy Mehta reported its infeasibility. We also approached a court that asked us to deposit R3,000 crore before hearing our plea," Fadnavis added. Even the Saunik committee, appointed by the Uddhav Thackeray government, decided against the Kanjurmarg site, he said, adding, "I have a clear opinion that the site was shifted to Kanjurmarg only for [satisfying someone's] ego."

Fadnavis said the SC had mentioned that carbon sequestration that the trees felled at Aarey could achieve in their lifetime would be achieved by Metro 3 in 80 days. "The Metro is the right of the citizens of highly polluted Mumbai city. The commuters will get a lifeline through this. To stop this will be playing with the citizens' lives."

He dismissed former environment minister Aaditya Thackeray's allegations that Mithi river would flood because of the car shed in Aarey. "It is not like one who was the environment minister has studied everything about it. If they were so concerned, why did they allow illegal constructions and encroachment? These factors, if controlled at the right time, could have prevented the Mithi floods."

The news hasn't gone down well with nature lovers. Environmentalist Stalin D said, "It is a decision made to appease the real estate sharks wanting to commercially exploit public land. A Rs 60,000-crore scam has been carefully planned since 2015. It is being executed now. It is impossible to build the car shed in Aarey without touching the trees. Instead of cutting trees, they will use the excuse of transplantation to cover up the killings. People need to decide if they are okay with the loot of public lands and money by builders. This is a reckless and insensitive decision by Shinde and Fadnavis."