Metro Bhavan at Aarey: Send in your objections by Sept 5

The state government has invited suggestions and objections from citizens on its decision to convert more than 2.03 hectares of land, reserved as a no-development zone (NDZ) in Aarey Colony, for construction of “Metro Bhavan and Metro Rail-allied users”. Citizens can send their suggestions and objections to the deputy director of town planning, Greater Mumbai, by September 5. The Metro Bhavan will be a centralised control centre for all upcoming Metro corridors in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

The move comes two days after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), appointed as the special planning authority for the land parcel in June 2018, selected a project management consultant for Metro Bhavan at a cost of ₹12.51 crore on Tuesday.

According to a notification issued by the state’s urban development department (UDD) on August 6, citizens can view the plan for Metro Bhavan at the metropolitan commissioner’s office in Bandra-Kurla Complex, the development plan department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) office and at the office of the deputy director of town planning in Fort.

Dilip Kawathkar, joint projects director, MMRDA, said, “The state government has transferred 2.03 hectares of land to MMRDA to construct the Metro Bhavan in Aarey Colony. The UDD has issued a notice to change the land-use, except for 5,000square metre of this space which has been reserved for a cemetery.”

The plan for Metro Bhavan has got a boost despite citizens’ opposition to a car shed for the underground Metro-3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz) line in Aarey Colony. A proposal to cut 2,700 trees in Aarey for the car shed also received 82,000 objections from citizens. Apart from this, residents have also been opposing the BMC’s plan to construct a zoo in Aarey.

Godfrey Pimenta from the Watchdog Foundation urged citizens to file their objections. “The entire Aarey Milk Colony is on the verge of systematic environmental destruction and we cannot be mute spectators to this mindless development,” he said. Zoru Bhatena, an activist, said, “The government is going all out to destroy Aarey.”

HOW YOU CAN REACH OUT

Address your suggestions/objections to:

Deputy director, Town Planning

ENSA hutments, E-block, Azad Maidan,

Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai-400001