Mumbai: Will speak to genuine activists, says Devendra Fadnavis on protests against Aarey car shed

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said that the Maharashtra government will discuss the concerns about building the Metro car depot inside Aarey colony only with genuine environmental activists, and not the "sponsored ones" among them. Hitting back at the BJP leader, green activists ask just how was Fadnavis going to decide the genuineness of protesters.

Fadnavis added that the government would ensure that the land in Aarey, which was designated as forest by the previous government, is not disturbed.

Fadnavis was speaking at the Vidhan Bhavan amid the Shiv Sena's opposition to the new government's move to construct the Metro car shed at Aarey instead of Kanjurmarg. The MNS, too, joined the stir. Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray urged the government to rethink in the interest of the city.

"The site has been cleared by the high court, the Supreme Court and green tribunal. Metro-3, the biggest feeder line in the city, will help commuters breathe clean. There is no need for further felling of trees there. Experts say the amount of carbon sequestration that the trees felled could have achieved in their lifetime would be achieved by Metro-3 in 80 days.

People protest against the Metro car shed at Aarey Colony, on Sunday. Pic/Shadab Khan

The Metro is the right of the highly polluted Mumbai city, and we will ensure it is environmentally friendly. There is no need for further tree felling," Fadnavis said. He added it would take about four years to build the car shed on the Kanjurmarg site, whenever it's free of litigation. "The cost has already escalated by Rs 10,000 crore. Kanjurmarg will add another Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 crore to the escalated cost," he added.

Also read: Don't stab Mumbai in heart, says former CM Thackeray, urges new govt not to build metro car shed in Aarey

Who is genuine?

"Who will decide which environmentalists are genuine? Will the government now label environmentalists? We have been fighting for eight years. We are doing our work. Will he [Fadnavis] talk to the environmentalists who are involved in the Save Aarey movement, or will he pick his own environmentalist? We are ready for a discussion, but not in a closed room. The discussion should be telecast live," said D Stalin, of NGO Vanashakti.

"We are ready for discussion. But we will not compromise on Aarey. We can talk about the alternative, not about Aarey. We have been fighting since 2015. We had approached Fadnavis before, but he was reluctant to talk. Now, he decides about the car shed the same day he takes the oath; why is he in such a hurry?" asked environmental activist Rohit Joshi.

Another activist, Zoru Bhathena, told mid-day, "Who will label who among the environmentalists are genuine. Maybe, for Fadnavis, genuine means those who are in his pockets... We can't compromise on Aarey. The Kanjurmarg land was sold to a builder and we have proof of that. There is even a plan for commercialisation of Aarey in the future."