Maharashtra government today initiated process of handing over 7,200 sq mt of additional land in Aarey Milk Colony here to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL).
State Agriculture and Animal Husbandry department, in whose possession the land is, will hand it over to Revenue and Forest department which, in turn, would transfer it to MMRCL, a senior official said.
Revenue department has already handed over about three lakh sq mt of land to MMRCL for phase III of Mumbai Metro.
However, there are high-tension power lines and pylons of Reliance Power over a part of it. MMRCL decided to shift the pylons, and asked the government to provide additional 7,200 sq mt of land for this purpose.
Hence, it will get 7,200 sq mt of land at Mauje Parjapur in Aarey Colony, said Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director, MMRCL.
"MMRCL will get the land and as per our requirement, we can cut the trees," Bhide said.
Environmental activists have been opposing Metro III phase (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ route) and construction of carshed for Metro in the leafy Aarey Colony area as it would need cutting down of thousands of trees.
The matter reached the Supreme Court, which on May 17 allowed the MMRCL cut the trees.
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