One of the petitioners fined Rs 50K for filing a frivolous application; Decision clears a big hurdle for the Metro-3 project; Scene of showdown shifts to Aarey depot site late on Friday night
The Bombay High Court's take on the protests against the proposed Metro-3 carshed at Aarey Colony is a setback to vested interests that want to scuttle a project with enormous potential to cut pollution and alleviate commuting woes of Mumbaikars, say proponents of the mass transit system.
The trashing of the petitions also exposed a section of the media that chose to side with those opposing the Metro-3 project. According to implementing authority c, a delay of a single day will result in a loss of Rs 4.23 crore.
DNA has been consistently batting for the Colaba–Bandra-SEEPZ Metro line, which is expected to carry 17 lakh passengers every day and thereby take 6.5 lakh vehicle trips off the road.
While the MMRCL kept giving point-by-point rebuttals to the charges levelled against the project, a section of the society, including the NGO Legal Rights Observatory, came forward to take on the opposers.
One of the issues they sought to counter was that the land belonging to a private developer was being asked to be taken for the Metro carshed. "The land if taken from a private developer would have meant a lot of financial burden on the government. Hence, that wasn't possible," said Vipin Menon, a backer of the Aarey carshed.
Menon said the other point raised by the NGOs was to take carshed to Kanjurmarg. "It would mean acquiring land and further paying up a lot of money." He said the government won't go for an expensive proposition when there's land available with it. "Vested interests proposed the alternative site knowing that land acquisition takes time," added Menon.
The court's decision on Friday came after hearing petitions filed by activists and NGOs over two weeks. However, the proceedings of the first day, on September 17, appeared to set the course the matter was likely to take in the days to come.
"Forest does not mean just trees and plants. What the common people call a forest, a real environmentalist will call a jungle. Forest is like the Amazon forest where the vegetation is so rich and thick that light does not reach the ground," Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog had said. One of the pleas had challenged the government's stand that Aarey is a forest.
On the second day, the HC expressed its disgruntlement at the long-winded manner in which one of the petitions was drafted by NGO Vanashakti, terming it a "mess". The plea sought directions to the government to declare Aarey a forest area.
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While the MMRCL kept giving point-by-point rebuttals to the charges levelled against the project, a section of the society, including the NGO Legal Rights Observatory, came forward to take on the opposers.)
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