City Pulse

Mumbai, Maharashtra: The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL)’s Metro Phase 3 project, also called the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ metro, has been drawing flak since its inception for its reported impact on the environment. Green activists have been drawing attention to the fact that the project disturbs the ecosystem of Mumbai and is also polluting the Mithi river. The 33.5km-long line will have 27 stations and is expected to be operational by 2021. About 15-16 percent of the work has been completed.

“Metro 3 work is going on in gross violation of all environmental norms. The Metro authorities are violating coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms, the Indian Forest Act etc. They are destroying every possible open space, forests, mangroves, and even rivers. They believe they’re above the law because they have the support of the government. The courts will eventually correct the situation, but by the time they react, it may be too late,” said Save Tree group member Zoru Bhathena. Metro 3 is not the only line whose work is degrading the environment; Bhathena pointed out that mangroves spread across 10 acres on the Juhu beach were cleared recently to make space for the Metro 2B (DN Nagar-Mandale) line.

The MMRCL is reportedly deviating from its original plan of disposing debris outside the city limits. Stalin Dayanand, Director of Mumbai-based environmental NGO Vanashakti, said, “The MMRCL is dumping debris in the Mithi river and wherever else they can at several locations in the city.”

On one hand, the MMRCL is polluting the Mithi river and on the other, the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working on beautifying it. The BMC’s Rs 671-crore plan for beautification and sewage treatment of the Mithi river is underway. BMC officials say 95 per cent work on deepening and widening of the river has been completed, increasing the capacity of the river by three times. They added that they’re working towards removing encroachments in and around the river.

The Metro Phase 3 construction work is undoing the work done by the BMC. “Metro Phase 3 work has reduced the width of the Mithi river at Dharavi and Bandra Kurla Complex areas. This will severely restrict the outflow of rainwater during the monsoon this year. This can be lead to another flooding disaster in Mumbai,” said Bhathena. Heavy rains choking Mumbai has become almost an annual affair in the last decade. The Mithi River is the most important channel in the city’s drainage network, and with the river under siege, flooding is inevitable.

This reporter made multiple calls to the MMRCL public relations officer, who always evaded commenting on the issue. Questions sent over text message, as sought by the PRO, did not elicit any response either.

Environmental impacts of Metro 3 project

The original environment assessment report of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), prepared in 2013, had estimated that 1,745 trees were to be felled or transplanted for the construction of the Metro 3 project. However, last January, the MMRCL revealed that more than 5,000 trees would be affected.

Mumbai's much-loved green space Aarey Milk Colony, a western Mumbai suburb located next to the banks of the Mithi river and its catchment area, is set to lose 3,500 trees to a metro yard project spread over 30 hectares comprising a parking lot and a servicing space for metro trains.

Environmentalists and citizens have raised their voice against this indiscriminate removal of green cover in the city. An online petition on Change.org to shift the proposed shed elsewhere and spare Aarey’s green cover has received about 1.4 lakh signatures. A website (saveaarey.org) set up to mobilise support for this cause has received endorsement from Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Raveena Tandon, among others. The Save Aarey team analysed the environment assessment impact report of the MMRDA and pointed out certain flaws. One of them is that the norm of public consultation was not followed in letter and spirit, depriving many stakeholders the right to voice their concerns.

Picture Courtesy: Mid Day