MMRC revises plan to save 1,073 trees

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has awarded the contract to a Delhi-based firm to build a car shed at the Aarey colony in Goregaon as part of its Metro-III project (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz), stating that it has revised the plan, thereby letting 5 hectares of land stay ‘untouched’.

This move will save about 1,073 trees. However, as per the revised plan, the car-shed project will still be spread across 22 hectares, affecting around 3,130 trees. MMRCL has said that the groundwork on the project will begin after monsoon.

The contract has been awarded to M/s. Sam (India) Builtwell Pvt. Ltd., which has previous experience of construction of such depot for Delhi and Lucknow Metros. The MMRC in its revised plan has reduced the depot area from 30 hectares to 22 hectares. Three hectares will be used for connecting the commuters to the underground metro and the MMRC has announced the other five to remain untouched. Though the MMRC announced that by not touching the five hectares of land it will save cutting of 1073 trees and cutting over 3000 trees, they said that the number of tree transplantation was subject to permission from the tree authority.

MMRC's Director (Project) SK Gupta said, "The depot will come up on 22 hectares land. Three more hectares will be used for a station. 5 hectares will be left untouched.” Speaking about the contract Mr. Gupta added, “On field work will commence immediately after monsoon and will be done in 2.5 years.”

Facilities that the car depot will contain include maintenance of OHE and tracks and heavy washing of the trains.