Metro III car depot proposal stayed: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday categorically said the Metro III car shed proposal has been stayed and an expert committee has been given a clear mandate of exploring whether the depot for the project can be shifted to an alternative location.

He was replying to a starred question raised by MLC Prakash Binsale of NCP, along with Hemant Takale, Kiran Pavaskar, Prakash Gajbhiye, Dhananjay Munde and others. Fadnavis said it would be verified from where the Metro can travel and what the alternative location for the car depot could be.

Metro III (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz) is an underground corridor of 32.50km and has 27 stations. The car depot for the stretch would have required 2,298 trees to be removed.

Fadnavis informed the Upper House that out of the 2,298 trees, 2,044 would be re-planted, while 254 would have to be cut. He informed that an expert committee is looking into it. The chief minister also told the House that re-plantation, if done in the same soil, increases the possibility of saving trees up to 90 or even 100%, and the same would be done in this project.

Bhai Jagtap pointed out that re-planted trees do not live for long, to which Fadnavis said the tree authority has been consulted and he has reviewed all aspects.