Today I am back on the topic of Aarey and Metro Car Shed in Mumbai. I had earlier written on this topic, but afterwards I happened to gather some more information on this subject, which I would like to share with you all.
As you all are aware that the controversy arose when a few years back some activist started protesting that Aarey is forest, and any construction of Metro car shed should not be allowed, but all these activist missed one point that before this Film City was carved out of Aarey area and similarly Royal Palms, a high end residential area with 18 course Golf course was also allowed in Aarey. So the activist contention that Metro car shed, which is going to cut about 2200 trees does not hold water, because Film city which is 20 times and Royal Palm which is about 10 times bigger than Matro car shed, had cut thousands of trees that no one is having the record of the same.
Now the real problem is do these activists which consist of certain NGOs, High end and rich people and Bollywood celebrities. These rich people and Bollywood celebrities are never going to use Metro, and they do not realise how important it is for Mumbai city’s transport system. These people are shouting from their top that cutting of trees will spoil the environment and increase carbon foot print, whereas the fact is Metro system is going to reduce carbon foot print because of vehicular traffic will reduce. The rich residents of Royal Palm do not want to have metro car shed in Aarey as their privacy, and exclusiveness of their area will be lost, and few of the celebrities who are protesting are living there.
There is one more fact, not many people are aware about this fact. The fact is in the beginning of 2018, about 5000 Sq meter of land in the Aarey was also allotted to Catholic church for making cemetery, but that time there was no protest from any quarter that trees will have to hexed for making cemetery. Although Church showed so much urgency in getting this plot in Aarey by saying that various cemeteries in Mumbai are falling short of burial space, but after the allotment, no work started in next one year at the allotted plot, so Govt decided to take the plot back from Church and allotted the same to Mumbai Metro for construction of their head quarter Metro Bhavan there. THEN ALL THE HELL BROKE LOOSE.
Immediately all the activists woke up and started protesting against Metro. A signature campaign started by a NGO Vanshakti, and it started from one church in Bandra. This NGO had axe to grind with BJP govt, as Home Minister had stopped its overseas funding. Even St Stanliaus School in Bandra asked the parents of their students enter this protest. There are many projects till date like nuclear power plant in Tamilnadu, where the activists were funded by NGOs, who were getting overseas funding. Now all these NGOs whose overseas funding were stopped by NDA govt, moved into this agitation to block Metro project, and indirectly there were funded by Catholic organisations.
Before this people knew only that there was issue of allotment of land for Metro Car Shed, and matter went to court and Court declared that Metro Car shed can come in Aarey.
But these activists after getting support from some celebrities and paid media started protesting in a big way, and started approaching every court for stopping the hexing of trees. Although once again Mumbai High Court had declared that Aarey is not a forest land, when these activist approached the HC after issue flared up. In the mean time Mumbai Metro had already given the statement they do not want area in Aarey to construct their head quarter.
Why these Bollywood celebrities are protesting, because they all are afraid that even Fim City in Aarey had encroached upon 51 acres of area of adjoining National Park, which is declared forest and National Park authorities are asking for their area be returned to them by Film City.
There are two activists who are filing Public interest Litigations (PIL) in various course of the country, themselves stay in Royal Palm.
There is one more fact which has to take into consideration, the trees which are already hexed by MMRC (about 2150) would have reduced about 12.5 lakh Kgs of Carbon foot print in their life time, where as Metro 3 project, for which car shed is being planned in Aarey is going to reduce 250 Lakh Kg carbon foot print in 10 years of its operation. The Maharashtra Govt has already planted about 20,900 tress in National Park with GPS tagging on each, and their survival rate is going to be 95%, plus their is planning of planting 15,000 more trees in Aarey & National Park area.
The activists have earlier pointed out certain private plots which are available in the near vicinity, which can be used as Car Shed. The problem with those plots were that govt/MMRC have to pay for those plots, and the equivalent size plot would have costed approx Rs 5000 Crs, whereas the Aarey plot which is govt land will be free for Mumbai Metro.
So friends crux of the matter is till the cemetery plot was with the Church, there were no activists, who are protesting vehemently now, and no body was against the tree cutting for car shed. The moment the same plot was allotted to MMRC for Metro Bhavan, the activists started protesting.
So friends, the matter has again with SC, after about 2140 trees were hexed after HC order, let us wait and watch. My contention is now construction of Car shed is in full swing, hopefully SC will stand with Mumbai Metro.
What you say my friends.
Awaiting your comments/views/ feed backs.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India.
15th Oct 2019.