Welcomes Friends from Media

Presents20/11/2015

Metro Car shed,Aarey,

andThe Technical

Committee Report

Analysis and comprehensive revelation of the process and report.

MMRDA through its subsidiary MMRCL makes an appearance Aarey Colony

Background

Puts up notices on 2298 trees stating that they are slated for destruction /relocation so that a Metro line

3 carshed can be built on the locationCitizens groups and NGOs unite and vehemently oppose the

proposal.Faced with stiff public opposition and Media

reports, CM intervenes and sets up a committee

Committee Formed• March 11th 2015 the GoM issues GR

announcing the formation of committee.• Constitution of the committee is –Metropolitan Commissioner– Principal Secretary UD.–MCGM commissioner– Dr Rakesh Kumar (Head Scientist NEERI)– Dr Shyam Asolekar (Professor/Scientist IIT)

• The report to be submitted in One Month

Committee Begins WorkMeets onMarch 19th 2015April 06th 2015April 18th 2015April 24th 2015May 13th 2015May 22nd 2015

*** No MoM ( Minutes of Meeting) made or provided to public.

Right to Information Route• Filed RTI on 22nd June, 2015• Reply comes stating that information not

available.• First appeal filed on 21st July, 2015• Date of hearing 5th August, 2015• Time sought by MMRDA for 45 days• Finally the report handed over on 28th October,

2015.Minutes of Meeting not included!!!

Mandate of the Committee as per the report

• To study the alternatives for locating the car depot• To “minimise” the loss of trees at Aarey if

“suitable” alternative is not found.• To suggest mitigating measures to the site at

Aarey Colony.

2 out of 3 actions directed towards “positioning” the Car Shed inside Aarey

Colony.

Nine Possible Alternatives

All nine alternatives suggested by the Citizens groups of the Save Aarey Movement.

MMRDA repeatedly maintained that there was no other land available or suitable

The Suggested Alternative Sites

• Backbay Reclamation • Mahalaxmi Race Course• Mumbai Port Trust• Dharavi• Mumbai University, Kalina• Sariput Nagar• Bandra Kurla Complex• Kanjurmarg• Aarey( Not suggested remotely also by the citizens

but mentioned in the report yet pursued by MMRDA)

Option 1: Backbay Reclamation Site

Merits of Backbay Site as per report:• Close to proposed route, less than one Km• Area if reclaimed sufficiently large for the depot.

Demerits of the site as per the report

Point 1: 3.5 ha of Mangroves exist so they will get “irreversibly damaged”The several projects are cleared on the assumption that three times more mangroves will be planted.Point 2: Entry and exit will require ramps to be made.This is true even for Aarey. Point 3: 7000 Hutments exist near the site. So they will be allowed to live peacefully for ever at the site?

Demerits of the site as per the report

Point 4: Relocating 7000 hutments will cost Rs. 1000 Crores.ACG submits that with the slums intact, the land is still big enough.

Point 5: Reclamation of 15 ha is environmentally damaging.The coastal road which is being cleared on the submission that environment damage will be minimum after 168ha of reclamation of open sea front.Also the land in question already has a breakwater wall extending into the sea.

Demerits with the site as per the report

Point 6: Reclamation permissions will take time. The coastal road permissions were granted within a fortnight of the CM visiting the MoEF&CC

Point 7: Reclamation will cost 900 croresThe details of this expenses are not known.

Point 8: Additional time will be lost and about 5 -7 years will be needed for a fresh design!The revised plan of the Aarey site was made within record time.

Option 2: Mahalaxmi Race Course(ref. page 21 of the Report)

Merits as per MMRDA• Site is located within one km of the route

Demerits of Mahalaxmi Site (As per Report)

•The spectators stand is a heritage structure which could get affected.•Many heritage structures are present along the metro route. Still the route there are no issues raised. •The land is leased to Royal Western India Turf Club.•A lease can be terminated, RWTC do not OWN the land.•An underground facility can be considered but underground depots are unsafe and costly to maintain.•Considering that the Metro itself is underground at various locations doesn’t this statement seem hollow and untenable?

Demerits of Mahalaxmi Site as per report

•Only the racing area of 19.2ha is available for the project The “revised” Aarey” proposal was fit into 20ha.

•Area is inadequate to construct a depot. This was “still” considered as an option in the main proposal.

•It is centrally located so not advisable. The reasoning given defeats the logic.

•500 Trees will be destroyed. In Aarey 2298 trees will be destroyed

Option 3: Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT)

Merits as per MMRDA• None

Demerits of MbPT as per report•No Contiguous parcel of land availableLand is available(see picture) There are hundreds of unused warehouses on the site.•Land is leased to private partiesLeases can be terminated since they are not used for the purposes given and the land is lying unused.•Land is proposed to be used to expand existing port facilities.The fourth terminal of JNPT is already being prepared and Mumbai is losing its ground as a port. Proposed marinas and a tourist recreation hub at MbPT.The extended Victoria dock terminal is lying unused for the past two years.

Demerits of MbPT as per report•The extended line will have to cross railway tracks and needs engineering modifications.•Technology exists to move the route underground to avoid conflict. •Proposed alignment will move beneath dense areas of South Mumbai .•Tunnel boring can be done to reduce the impact on the ground level activities.•Switchover ramps will be needed•Whatever is needed for the operations will have to be built.

Option 4: Dharavi

Merits as per MMRDA• None

Demerits of DharaviIt involves massive relocation of slums.Dharavi Revamp is that already over due and is Govt.’s pet project

Switch over ramp neededIf its needed ,it means it has to be built, there cannot be two ways about it.

Option 5: Mumbai University Site

Merits as per MMRDA• Less than one km from route.• Station planned here.

Demerits of Mumbai University Site as per report

Land is not availableLand is availableLand is needed for University expansionMumbai university has not expanded its facilities despite having the land for over two decades. Opposition from students. When did MMRDA interact with students.

Here the underground depot facility was NEVER considered.

Option 6: Sariput Nagar

Merits as per MMRDA• 12ha land available• 1km from the proposed end of the route.

Demerits of Sariput Nagar Site as per report

Land is inadequateUnderstandably since they have already made a 20ha proposal which can be located ONLY in Aarey and nowhere else in the world.

Ramp would be close to Mahakali caves road which is an archaeological siteMany heritage structures are present along the metro route.The JVLR flyover built by MMRDA is in the same proximity

Option 7: BKC land (the best)

Merits as per MMRDA• Less than one km

from the route.• Land ownership

with MMRDA so no acquisition involved.

Demerits of BKC as per the reportSince BKC is at an intermediate location, it is unsuitable.Untenable and illogical argument.The land was not even given for the interstate project Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Connectivity line.Even national interest projects cannot make MMRDA part with its “precious” property .The property is worth 30,000 crores and is a revenue earner.BKC was created by reclaiming wetlands, MMRDA did not buy it.

Will the MMRDA afforest that 20ha to compensate for the proposed loss of Aarey and convert it into a open green space?

This is the only land available for consuming FSI .If monetising FSI is priority, then it is necessary to monetise biodiversityIs commercial interest and not public interest a priority for MMRDAA ramp will be needed to bring the rakes up.This is true even for AareyThe report is silent on the possibility of an underground car shed. It was NEVER discussed.

Demerits of BKC as per the report

Option 8: Kanjurmarg site

Option 8: Kanjurmarg site

Option 8: Kanjurmarg site

Option 8: Kanjurmarg siteMerits as per MMRDA• Land for the Metro car shed can be easily made

available. (Page 28)• Land is technically feasible.• Has nominal or least impact on trees and

environment.• Ideal site for interchange in future.• All operations can be located in one location away

from human population pressure.• It will provide good connectivity for future needs

towards expansion needs to Thane.

Demerits Kanjurmarg Site as per reportSite is under complex litigations.The land is primarily owned by Salt department of India and leased it out for salt manufacture. No salt has been manufactured here for decades The land has steadily been transformed for real estate “development”

There is a status quo order of the Hon`ble High Court of Bombay on the land.MCGM has 141ha “Sanitary Landfill” in defiance of the High Court of Bombay order. Even if the ownership is decided against MMRDA or GoM , the owner can be compensated using FSI for land acquired for public utility.

Demerits of Kanjurmarg as per reportEarly possession of land appears difficult.Leading developers are already started closing in on the land. Residential towers have started coming up on one side of the land. The land is barricaded halfway into it after it was suggested that the site could be used for the Metro car shed.

Delay in land acquisition will lead to further “Adverse Economical and Environmental impacts!!!”The Metro line was already proposed for KanjurmargIt is unethical and improper claim.

Barricading at Kanjurmarg site

Demerits of Kanjurmarg Site as per ReportThis will entail an extension of 7.5kms but it can be useful for the proposed Jogeshwari Kanjurmarg lines.This means that it is a merit, an advantage not to be included in “demerits”To make the extended line another 1700 crores will be needed.It is not a wasteful expense as East west connectivity would improve and it is the need of the hour. Operational difficulties of running the rakes at night etc. would be difficult.If the airport can handle flights taking off and landing day and night at one min intervals, sending some rakes at night is nothing short of a cakewalk.

Option 9: Aarey ColonyMerits as per MMRDA• Less than one km from route.• Adequate land is available and in possession

of MMRCL (Free of cost Forest land)• Land is available at terminal point.• Adequate “stable depot” can be made. • No Social impacts(??)• Area will not impact “interior” green of Aarey.• Work can start at the earliest.

Option 9: Aarey Colony

Option 9: Aarey Colony

Demerits of Aarey as per report

2298 trees to be impacted !!Far more when compared to other sites.It is not just the 2298 trees but the 30ha landscape. Requires shifting of cables and pipelines.This is major flaw for the project site selection.Underpass to be made for Marol -Aarey road.This is major impediment for the project.

Page 30 to page 40 extensively deal with the plans for the shed in Aarey colony compared to the few lines or paras in less than one page and maximum of two pages for other locations.

Some Interesting facts about the Metro III Project

Alternative site considered for Metro III

Heritage Structures and Metro III40m

22m

45m

Metro III and ATC Tower

• Minimum need is 20 ha.• Metro I-

less than 17ha of land inside dense inhabitation.• 17ha due

to the round about.

Metro III car shed and inadequate land

Analysis- Part I

• The entire exercise seems to be directed towards obtaining sanction of the “revised” car shed inside Aarey.

• There are no indications of any remote honesty shown by MMRDA in examining the other sites,

• Our assertions have been vindicated in the report of the Environmental experts from NEERI and IIT.( Annexure 1)

Analysis- Part II• Considering the fact that the entire issue was raised due to

citizens concerns for the environment and open spaces, nothing was done by the committee members collectively towards addressing it.

• The committee has excluded the environment experts views and has attempted to unilaterally brush aside the genuine concerns. (page 12)

• Reading clearly shows that there was NO face to face interaction and the Environment Experts were forced to give their submissions in writing or risk being ignored completely.

Analysis- Part III• This report repeatedly claims that if the land is not

available in 3 months, then work should start in Aarey. The haste is unwarranted

• The GoM seems to have ignored the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India on notifying the Ecologically Sensitive Zones around national parks immediately.

• The GoM has allocated Aarey land to MMRDA, despite the proposal on designating Aarey Colony as the buffer zone and Ecologically Sensitive Zone of SGNP by the State Forest Department to MoEF&CC.

Analysis- Part IV• There seems to be deliberate ploy by MMRDA to

conceal the word Mithi in the report. • This is significant since the proposed site is in the

immediate vicinity of catchment area of Mithi River.

Closing remarks of environment experts

DEMANDS

ACG Demands• A complete detailed review one with respect to

Backbay, Kanjurmarg .• Immediate compliance of the Hon`ble Supreme Court

order and declaration of Aarey as an Ecologically Sensitive Zone. This declaration will help promote Aarey as a leisure, recreation ,nature interpretation zone and nature tourism hub.

• Respect wishes of the people and protect the green lung of Mumbai for the future generations and to keep slumlords and politicians backing them out of Aarey.

• The tourism potential of Aarey can be handled by Dairy Development Board or Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) without disturbing the landscape.

Thank You!!!