In a compensatory move, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) along with Maharashtra State Forest Department has initiated a mangrove plantation drive at Koparkhairane in Navi Mumbai.
According to reports, the corporation will plant around 8,888 mangroves to compensate 108 mangroves cut for the construction of BKC and Dharavi Metro stations. The Mangroves Cell of Maharashtra State Forest Department would plant mangroves in two hectares of land at Koparkhairane.
Officials said that this plantation is to safeguard the environment to adhere to their green policy while executing a public transportation project as vital as Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 Corridor.
The Union environment ministry had in 2017 allowed MMRC to construct at two land parcels admeasuring 0.91 hectares and 0.34 hectares inside mangrove wetlands at Bandra Kurla Complex and Dharavi for the Metro III project (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ).
The environment Ministry gave clearances in the wake of the recommendations by additional principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), forest department, nodal officers (FCA) from the central and state governments.
Earlier, last year on the intervening night of October 3 and 4, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) started chopping trees at the Aarey forest in order to build the metro rail car shed. Many activists, residents and people from various walks of life protested to save the Aarey forest. After the Shiv Sena led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government came to power, the project was stalled and later the government went on to declare the Aarey as a forest zone.
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