Maharashtra: CM Eknath Shinde Lifts Stay Order On Metro Car Shed Project At Aarey Colony

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra Government lifted the stay order on the Metro line-3 car shed project at Mumbai's Aarey Colony on Thursday. In 2019, the stay order was issued, which has now been lifted.

In 2020, the Uddhav Thackeray government moved the Metro line-3 project to Kanjumarg from Aarey after a breakout of massive protest by concerned citizens and environmentalists, reported News18.

Know About Aarey Colony

The rich urban forest, Aarey, is popularly known as Aarey Colony, situated in Mumbai's Konkan region of Goregaon (East). The mixed moist deciduous forest is within the ecosensitive zone of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

Spread over 2000 acres, the Aarey Colony acts as a buffer between the city and SGNP. In 2020, the Maharashtra government also declared one-fifth of the area of Aarey Colony, around 600 acres, as a reserved forest. The colony was established around the 1950s to meet the purpose of marketing and processing dairy products in Bombay (now Mumbai).

Aarey Cony Row

The planning to construct a metro car shed project in the Aarey colony has been put forth for almost a decade. The controversy escalated in 2019 when Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited cut down more than 2,000 trees at the Aarey Colony to develop a metro car shed under the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

The citizens and environmentalists dragged this step to the court of law by filing a petition at Supreme Court and Bombay High Court. Many came down to the streets to protest against the government's decision as it was a clear threat to the city's environment.

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