Eknath Shinde, Aarey Colony, Uddhav Thackeray
Mr Shinde, it is learnt, has directed Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni to submit in court that the Metro car shed will be built at Aarey Colony as planned in 2019 under the Devendra Fadnavis government.
The issue, which had sparked massive protests in Mumbai by environmental activists, dates back to 2019 when the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation sought the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) permission to fell trees at Aarey Colony, an urban forest many refer to as Mumbai's green lung.
Protests began soon after the BMC gave a go ahead to the project. As activists stepped up their agitation, then Chief Minister Fadnavis said the area identified for the Metro car shed does is not categorised as biodiversity or forest land. He also reasoned that the Metro will reduce carbon footprint. "Why we save trees because we want to reduce the carbon footprint. So, we need to understand one thing that how much carbon footprint is going to be reduced due to the underground Metro," he said.
Following the Assembly polls later that year, the Shiv Sena parted ways with long-time ally BJP and the Maha Vikas Aghadi government under Uddhav Thackeray was formed.
The new government, heeding to the protests by activists, decided to shift the Metro car shed to Kanjurmarg. Thereafter, the BJP-led government at the centre went to Bombay High Court in 2020, saying the land belonged to its Salt department. The High Court then issued a stay. Since then, the project has been in a limbo.
The Shiv Sena has been opposing the plan to build the shed at Aarey even when they were the BJP's alliance partners. Responding to the BJP's criticism over shifting the project, Chief Minister Thackeray last year said infrastructure works undertaken in haste can lead to waste and not true development.
Source:- NDTV
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Eknath Shinde, Aarey Colony, Uddhav Thackeray
