Huge Victory For The Common Man: Aarey Metro Shed Site Being Cleared & Closed
The metro car shed is now being shifted out of Aarey forest in Mumbai after Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government signalled the beginning of removing construction material from the site.
The metro car shed is now being shifted out of Aarey forest in Mumbai after Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government signalled the beginning of removing construction material from the site.
Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) project director S K Gupta told The Times of India, "the car shed site is being closed and secured¡±.
He added that scaffoldings, shuttering, rebar and construction debris are all being cleared out and pits being filled so that they do not remain a safety hazard.
Sabrang India
¡°There are openings in the wall which are being covered and the area will be closed and secured,¡± Gupta said.
Netizens rejoice
People on Twitter have cheered the decision, saying it is a step in the right direction and a big win for the common man.
Best news! Aarey Metro shed is being shut down!
¡ª Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) September 16, 2020
Congratulations to all Mumbaikers! Esp @aapmumbai who has been fighting this since its inception! If citizens come together we can save our world!
Thank you @CMOMaharashtra ?#SaveAarey #ClimateChange https://t.co/fXgxmaBeHM
Thanks to all the activists who did not hesitate to face fake cases from @Dev_Fadnavis govt. Special thanks to Shiv Sena @OfficeofUT @AUThackeray
¡ª Nitten Gokhaley (@SimplyNitten) September 16, 2020
Mumbai: Aarey Metro shed site being cleared & closed
They fulfilled their promise, @rkbnow https://t.co/2K7EckkojM
#SaveAareySaveMumbai #Aareyisaforest Thank you @OfficeofUT @AUThackeray
¡ª rups (@rupapp) September 16, 2020
This is a victory 4 d citizens who fought d corrupt Fadnavis Government against all odds.We will have the Metro shed & Aarey forest , this is how governments should be have a futuristic view of development! https://t.co/tWqXJJe4AD
Speak against the dying of light and your voices shall be heard,
¡ª Yutikaaa (@Yuthikaaa1) September 16, 2020
For when injustice forces change,
Innocents' battles ought to be fought,Your tears wont go to waste,Fight the right way,
For light will be restored as truth Will ALWAYS PREVAIL. #AareyIsaForest #SaveAareySaveMumbai pic.twitter.com/OX4HOBjWTk
. ¡°The project is under review at present,¡± The Metro car shed site lies in the catchment area for Mithi river and its height was raised to bring it level with JVLR. "MMRCL
¡ª #SaveMumbaiforest (@SaveMumbaifore1) September 16, 2020
On September 3, @CMOMaharashtra announced that 600 acres of #Aarey would be declared as a
Reserved Forest
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray last year appointed a committee to look for an alternate site for the car shed and stayed all construction at the 33-hectare Aarey site.
Controversies galore
Aarey metro shed site had been surrounded by controversies. Activists and Mumbai public have vehemently protested the construction of the metro shed near the Aarey Colony in the Aarey forest which is considered to be the last green lung within the Mumbai city.
Activists have argued that it threatens the wildlife in the area and has long term negative impacts.
A few days ago, the Maharashtra government decided to reserve 600-acre Aarey land near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in suburban Mumbai as a forest and conserve the same.
The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who said the forest would be the first example of a "huge jungle" being conserved at the centre of a megapolis, an official statement said.
The chief minister instructed during the meeting to safeguard the rights of adivasis (tribals) while the area is reserved as forest.
