Save Aarey: Scrap Metro car shed and Line 3, demands Aaditya Thackeray

Aally Shiv Sena joined protests against the BJPled governmentrsquos plan to build a Metro car shed at the Aarey Milk Colony Aaditya Thackeray the chief of the Senarsquos youth wing batted for the forestrsquos biodiversity yesterday and even spoke against the proposed Metro Line 3 claiming it would displace locals from GirgaumYuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray flanked by MLAs Sunil Prabhu and Ravindra Waikar with activists from Save Aarey Milk Colony other NGOs and local tribals in Aarey Milk Colony yesterday PicsSuresh KKThe Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation MMRC a body led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis plans to cut 2298 trees from Aarey Milk Colony to make way for a Metro car shed Thackeray joined hands yesterday with activists from the Save Aarey Milk Colony group an informal organisation of environmentalists activists and citizens and called for the government to scrap the car shed planThackeray said his party would oppose any development in Aarey Colony and that the government should find an alternate site for the car shedHe also said Shiv Sena would strongly oppose the Metro Line 3 ColabaBandraSeepz saying it would displace people who stay in chawls in Girgaum The car depot is being proposed for this upcoming line which will be completely undergroundThackeray with several of Senarsquos party workers NGOs and tribals met yesterday in the colony ldquoThe Metro car depot will have a negative impact on the biodiversity of Aarey Milk Colony and so we will oppose the same There are alternatives for the car depot that environment and citizen groups have suggested to the MMRCThe government should think about them Metro Line 3 will also displace Mumbaikars staying in chawls at Girgaum and the project will also eat up a portion of Cross Maidan Already there are hardly any open spaces left in MumbaiHence I feel that the Metro Line 3 should be scrapped When a financially viable coastal road project is going to come up I donrsquot understand the need for the Metro Line 3rdquo Thackeray saidLocal tribals members from the Save Aarey Milk Colony group and other NGOs interacted with the youth leader who assured them that his party wouldnrsquot allow ldquoa single tree to be cutrdquo and that his party members who are part of the BMCrsquos Tree Authority would continue opposing the plans to chop trees for the Metro projectlsquoBeyond politicsrsquoWhen questioned why his party an ally both in the state and the BMC with the BJP was opposing its partner he said ldquoIf we feel something is wrong then we have the right to oppose it and we shall do soOur family has been proenvironment and wildlife and this cause is close to my heart I will soon meet the chief minister along with members of Save Aarey Milk Colony and request him to stop ongoing workProtecting biodiversity at Aarey Milk Colony itself is more important as this is one of the last surviving green lungs of Mumbai Nowhere in the world is there such a dense and beautiful forest with wildlife within city limits Its conservation is vitalrdquoThackeray invoked memories of visiting the colony and Sanjay Gandhi National Park and said he had been visiting both since childhood ldquoIt is wrong on the part of MMRC to say there is no wildlife in Aarey Milk Colony We will oppose any kind of development in Aareyrdquo he statedShiv Senarsquos local MLA and Minister of State for Housing Ravindra Waikar and former mayor and Dindoshi MLA Sunil Prabhu also promised that they would extend their full support for the cause Thackeray also said people should leave political differences aside and cross party lines to come forward and join the cause to save the forest