'Saplings will replace trees cut for Metro 3', says MMRC MD Ashwini Bhide

As the war over the Metro car depot at Aarey Milk Colony wages on, city tree huggers have something to smile about: The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) will replace each tree cut to make way for the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro line 3. That's over 3,000 trees axed along the 32.5 km-long stretch to start work on the metro line.

"We will restore the trees cut for this project," said Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director, MMRC. "There will be a slight change in the location of the new sapling on that road, depending on the entry/exit points." This is an important decision that could impact the 2,700 trees expected to be cleared in Aarey Milk Colony for the Metro-3 depot.

MMRC has also identified three nurseries that will plant and nurture the saplings, four years hence when the line will be opened to the public. The survival rate of such saplings is 45% and three planting attempts will be made at those that don't survive. The location for 60-65% of the new population of flora has already been identified.

Bhide also dismissed the theory that concretization of the area that will hold the Metro car shed in Aarey milk Colony will lead to flooding in the area. "Only seven hectares will be concretized to build the sheds," she said, "The remaining 75% of the land will remain unpaved, which we have been clarifying continuously."

She also cleared that the allotted area is not in the Mithi river's floodplain. "Its the catchment area from where the water flows into the Mithi," Bhide said. "There is a huge gradient so the water does not spread and natural channels already exist that have old stormwater drains (SWD).

As part of the land development, we have already shifted some old SWDs outside to the boundary using proper drains, as per the BRIMSTOWAD's (Brihanmumbai Stormwater Disposal System) requirements. This has already been approved by the BMC."

She added that these are high-capacity drains, which is why despite heavy monsoons, there has been no water retention here in the past few years.

Meanwhile, the MMRDA has arranged casting yards for the Lokhandwala-JVLR-Kanjurmarg Line 6 at Wadala and other existing yards. There is no proposal for a plot for the purpose in Aarey, Bhide said. "MMRDA asked for two small vacant plots, with no trees, for site work along the JVLR. Now, with alternative arrangements made, only one plot measuring about 1500 sqm, between JVLR and Adani Electricity Management Institute, will be enlisted. It is already being used for Metro work for the past one year and shall be used for one more."