Metro officers oppose plot proposed by CM

Refuse to give explanation for nixing CM Fadnavis’ suggestion for alternate plot at Kalina

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has refused to consider Kalina as an alternate plot for the car shed of Metro III (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) line. Following the Chief Minister’s direction to meet the citizen activists for suggestions and recommendations, the MMRCL officers met them on Tuesday and dropped the idea of the alternate plot without giving any particular reason.

The meeting was not attended by MMRCL Managing Director Ashwini Bhide though she was informed about the same by Fadnavis on February 18. The MMRCL officers said the plot at Kalina instead of Aarey in the western suburbs was not feasible. When questioned by the activists as to why this plot could not be used, the officers did not give any particular reason and said that there were technical issues at the Kalina plot.

The plot at Kalina is approximately 29 hectares barren land while Aarey Colony is the only green lung of the city. Over 2,000 trees would be affected at Aarey by this project. When the activist had informed Fadnavis about this last week, he had directed MMRCL to consider Kalina as an alternate plot for the Metro project.

Considering the environmental damage, the Metro officers claimed that they would use a new design and keep a separate place for trees and construct the car depot in the remaining 25 hectares of land. However, the MMRCL has demanded 33 hectares of land at Aarey for the construction of this car shed.

Stalin Dayanand, an activist who attended this meeting told the ‘Free Press Journal’, “The officers have not given a specific reason for why the Kalina plot is not feasible. Also, if they need 25 hectares of land for the depot then they can easily construct it at Kalina. The government has granted only around 20 hectares of land for this car shed but the MMRCL are claiming that they need more land.”

The Metro officers also agreed that they would do what the government tells them to do and would not think of exiting Aarey at the present moment.