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Convert Aarey metro car shed into veterinary hospital: Aaditya Thackeray

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said he has requested the Maharashtra government to construct a veterinary hospital at the construction site of the Aarey metro car shed on Sunday. People in Mumbai on Sunday took to the streets in protest against the Eknath Shinde government’s decision to resume construction of metro car sheds in the […]

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said he has requested the Maharashtra government to construct a veterinary hospital at the construction site of the Aarey metro car shed on Sunday.

People in Mumbai on Sunday took to the streets in protest against the Eknath Shinde government’s decision to resume construction of metro car sheds in the Aarey colony forest, claiming the project was being developed at the expense of the forest area.

“Whatever anger they (Maharashtra government) have against us should not be taken out on the city. Jungles and the environment need to be protected, climate change is upon us,” the leader said. He further said, “We had proposed construction to be turned into a veterinary hospital for jungle”. Earlier on 3 July, Aaditya urged the Shinde government to scrap the Aarey metro project. 

The Aarey forest is a 1,800-acre area which is often termed the city’s “green lung”. “Under our government, we had declared 808 acres of land as forests. We fought for forests to protect our tribals. When we were here, no trees were uprooted,” he said.

Claiming that metro cars go for maintenance every three-four months and not every night, the government can afford to build sheds in Kanjurmarg. “If sheds are built in Kanjurmarg, forest life will be preserved, along with tribal life and money,” he said.

In September 2019, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the government is bound to cut trees in Mumbai’s Aarey forest area as “development is important”.

Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation announced its plan to cut down over 2,700 trees from the Aarey colony to build a car shed for the Metro. The colony, spread over 13,000 hectares, is home to over 27 Adivasi villages and has various animal species.

The Bombay High Court in September 2019, verbally directed the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) and the state government not to cut any trees in the Aarey forest area for the construction of a metro car shed, to which they agreed. Later in October 2019, the High Court dismissed all petitions against the proposed cutting down of over 2,500 trees in Aarey Colony of Mumbai to make way for a Metro car shed.

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