Allow depot to be built at Aarey, MMRC tells government

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has sent a proposal to the state government to allow the organisation to construct a car depot for the Colaba-Seepz-Bandra Metro-3 corridor at Aarey colony, citing that a quick call needed to be taken on the issue to prevent delays to the project.

This in spite of several environmentalists and politicians lodging protests against the car depot in Aarey colony. They have said that the depot would have an adverse effect on the environment and wildlife inside Aarey Colony.

“In a board meeting on Saturday, we formally requested the board members that, in the larger interest of the project, the MMRC should be allowed to construct a car depot at Aarey colony. We are not ruling out the possibility of using the Kanjurmarg land for the car depot. But the land being marshy, the procedure of strengthening it will take another 18 months, which will delay the project. Also, the land is not in our possession and is under litigation,” said Ashiwni Bhide, managing director, MMRC.

However, environmentalists have challenged the move by the MMRC and have alleged that MMRC is going ahead with the construction in spite of the matter being pending in the National Green Tribunal.

“As of today, there is no restriction on MMRC for constructing a car depot at Aarey colony. Also, we have no opposition to the land available at Kanjurmarg. The land available there can be used for the proposed Jogeshwari- Seepz-Kanjurmarg Metro-6 corridor. As of now, the board has recommended that the state government grant permission to build an on-surface car depot, which will require 24 hectares of land and 1,000 trees will be affected by the construction,” said Ms Bhide.

The final decision will be taken by the state urban development department, which is expected to take a final call on the same.

According to the MMRC, it does not want go ahead with the initial plan of constructing a double-decker car depot.