India
The committee formed on March 2 has prepared a list of advantages and disadvantages for each site. The move is after a series of campaigns and protests by environmentalist groups opposing a car depot at Aarey Milk Colony.
Updated : May 27, 2015, 07:00 AM IST
State government-appointed committee on car depot for Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro rail will be submitting their report soon to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to finalise one out of the eight locations.
The committee formed on March 2 has prepared a list of advantages and disadvantages for each site. The move is after a series of campaigns and protests by environmentalist groups opposing a car depot at Aarey Milk Colony.
According to sources, instead of finalising the location for the depot, the committee has analysed all the alternatives available, and now the higher brass of the state government will have to take a final call.
The locations that have been looked at include Aarey Milk Colony, Backbay Reclamation, Kanjurmarg, Wadala, Bandra-Kurla Complex, University of Mumbai campus at Kalina, racecourse and reclamation is southern Mumbai.
As per the earlier development plan, the Backbay Reclamation already has a reservation for a car depot for a railway line.
The committee comprises Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority's commissioner UPS Madan, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's commissioner Sitaram Kunte, principal secretary of Urban Development Department Nitin Kareer, National Environmental Engineering Institute's director Dr Rakesh Kumar, Centre for Science and Environment IIT-Bombay's Dr Rashmi Patil and Dr Ravi Sinha and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's director Balwinder Kumar.
As per the original plan, the car depot at Aarey Milk Colony will need clearing of 2,298 trees, of which 254 trees were to be hacked and the rest 2,044 trees were to be transplanted.