This could be called a massive win for the people¡¯s movement who protested government¡¯s move to acquire additional land for building a metro shed. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had earlier sought more land from the Aarey Colony to build another casting yard for the upcoming metro projects, but they have now bowed down to public pressure and protests.
The MMRDA has now sought an alternate land parcel at Wadala in the southeastern periphery of the megapolis.
However, the earlier proposal to cut down 2,700 is still on. The government has only dropped the plan to acquire additional land for building the metro shed.
There have protests on a daily basis since the news of MMRDA acquiring more land broke. Activists and environmentalists have been protesting daily against the state¡¯s proposal to fell around 2,700 more trees in the city's green lung Aarey Colony, which is home to thousands of tribals and hundreds of wildlife species, apart from the unique flora and fauna, to build a casting yard for the 14.47-km Lokhandwala-Kanjurmarg corridor-6.
BCCL
"We have decided to take up 28,000 sqft of land in the Wadala area to build the casting yard for the metro line 6," an MMRDA official told PTI.
He said that no land is being sought from the Aarey Milk Colony.
Last week, the state had given a go ahead to MMRDA to clear up another portion of Aarey to build a casting yard, which would have led to the felling of close to 2,900 more trees as it was seeking an additional 2,775 sqmt land.
Following this, public protests intensified.
Amidst rising public anger, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had last week defended the move to hand over more forest land from Aarey saying that development and environment must be balanced.
BCCL
On Friday, Fadnavis come out in support of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited¡¯s (MMRCL) plan to cut 2,703 trees in Aarey Colony, despite massive opposition.
He said that every tree cut will ¡°pain¡± him. He, however, defended the decision saying that the metro project will compensate for the ecological damage caused by tree-felling by drastically reducing the carbon footprint of commuting.?
The Supreme Court has earlier said that land where trees will be cut is not a part of the forest.
The CM clarified that MMRCL would re-plant 500 trees and the government itself would plant 3,000 trees.