MMRC floats bids for Aarey Metro car depot
Despite litigation and opposition from the green brigade, a pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday by MMRC to discuss details of construction at Aarey Milk Colony.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has floated bids for the construction of a car depot for the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro at Aarey Milk Colony, much to the dismay of environmentalists.
Despite litigation and opposition from the green brigade, a pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday by MMRC to discuss details of construction at Aarey Milk Colony.
As per the bid details, a construction company will be appointed to erect depot-cum-workshop buildings, the Aarey metro station building, a subway, earthworks, and all associated works.
At the moment, a final order is awaited from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). A petition has been moved with NGT against the car depot plans of Metro 3. The petition is to "save" part of the green lungs of Mumbai. Meanwhile, there is a stay order to stop any activity or construction at Aarey Milk Colony.
"There is no stay order to set up a casting yard next to Aarey Milk Colony, though there is a stay order for the car depot. The stay order is to avoid any construction activity, not to disallow us from conducting a bidding process or inviting tenders," said an MMRC official.
On December 5, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) in a notification had allowed construction of the metro car depot at Aarey Milk Colony. However, NGT's final order is awaited on the issue. A total of 33 hectares is needed by MMRC to construct the car depot.