Mumbai: Metro begins soil testing in Aarey Colony against NGT order

One day after the NGT, in a hearing, denied permission to the consortium to conduct soil testing in the area while the issue still awaits a final ruling, contractors on Thursday came there along with heavy machinery and police bandobast, much to the chagrin of green activists

Mumbai: Metro begins soil testing in Aarey Colony against NGT order

Contractors were spotted with heavy machinery at the site on Thursday

The MMRC just can't stay away from Aarey Colony, even for a day. One day after the NGT, in a hearing, denied permission to the consortium to conduct soil testing in the area while the issue still awaits a final ruling, contractors on Thursday came there along with heavy machinery and police bandobast, much to the chagrin of green activists.

Meanwhile, citizens and activists fighting to save the green cover in Aarey that is in jeopardy because of the proposed carshed for Metro 3 have termed this not only a violation of NGT orders as there is a status quo on construction there, but also criticised the police department for supporting illegal activity.

NGT ruling in 10 days
Aarey Conservation Group member Stalin D from NGO Vanashakti said, "During the hearing before the NGT on Wednesday, the lawyer representing MMRC asked the permission for conducting soil testing in Aarey, which was denied.

Now, in light of their request being turned down, they should have refrained from doing any kind of work in Aarey, but they have started the soil testing work, which is a violation of the order. As the final hearing in the matter has been kept for April 10, it was just a matter of 11 days and so the MMRC should have waited."

However, as mid-day has already reported on March 25, locals had spotted contractors collecting samples to do the soil testing.

Now, despite the NGT order on Wednesday about maintaining the status quo, they came to unit number 18 and 19 on Thursday with heavy machinery and police bandobast to temper any backlash from protesters.

Senior police inspector Vijay Oulkar from Aarey police station said, "MMRC, which is a government agency, had approached us with a request that they need police protection for work that they are doing in Aarey unit 18 and so we provided it."

MMRC denies charge
"MMRC is doing the geo-technical investigations in Aarey Milk Colony and there is no stay on doing the same. It appears that certain activists are trying to create confusion by saying we are committing |violations," said SK Gupta, MMRC director, projects.