Members of BMC’s Tree Authority (TA) visited the site of the proposed Metro 3 car shed on Tuesday, 20th August, 2019. About 10 Tree Authority Corporators & 2 Experts visited the site in presence of members of public as well as tribal community. Some of the TA members requested one of the members of public to show them around, so they could hear public's point of view too. Initially MMRCL refused to allow any member of the public to accompany the TA members. Some TA members pointed out that their visit was due only to public outcry & that if public were not permitted, they too would leave! Only then did MMRCL relent & allowed the public to accompany the TA members for their visit. TA members were shown the flood plains, filled up with mud, with some trees buried/killed under 10-15 feet of mud. There were shown 5Ha area which government had directed MMRCL to keep untouched & where MMRCL is directed to preserve the trees, was also filled up with mud, with some trees buried inside & structures built over.

Some TA member asked why all trees cannot be transplanted. The members of public showed them the shoddy transplantation by MMRCL, where even trees like peepal & banyan have died (which normally survive anywhere).

It was wonderful of TA members to walk around the plot & see the ground situation for themselves. They listened patiently to the members of the public. After the visit was completed the TA members (from Shiv Sena, Congress & NCP) met the public and tribal community who were waiting outside and assured the public that Aarey will be saved.

We hope that Aarey forest be saved from the bureaucratic lobbying for commercialisation of an urban forest and the tree authority can play an indispensable role in saving Aarey from destruction.