\'Will bullet train shift Mumbaikars to Ahmedabad when city drowns\,\' asks Milind Deora

'Will bullet train shift Mumbaikars to Ahmedabad when city drowns,' asks Milind Deora

Milind Deora also urged the Chief Minister to intervene in the plans and said that planting trees across Maharashtra won't save Mumbai.

Milind Deora

Congress leader Milind Deora took a dig at the Maharashtra government over its plans to cut down mangrove trees in order to make the high-speed rail corridor. The leader criticised the party and asked if the bullet trains will shift the Mumbaikars to Ahmedabad when the city drowns. Deora's criticism came in the wake of the Maharashtra government's plans to create the high-speed train project that would impact multiple mangrove forests.

"Mangroves protect Mumbai from storms, winds, waves & floods. Yet, 54,000 will be razed for the bullet train. Will the train shift Mumbaikars to Ahmedabad when our city drowns?" he asked in a tweet, tagging CM Devendra Fadnavis.

He also urged the Chief Minister to intervene in the plans. "Planting trees across Maharashtra won't save Mumbai," he said.

Mangroves act as a fort against tsunamis and floods and protect the coastline. A mangrove forest spread across 13.36 hectares will be impacted because of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor, as per Transport Minister Diwakar Raote. The minister also added that nearly 200 acres of land would be acquired for the bullet train project in Palghar district. On Monday, large parts of the district were flooded following the incessant rains on Monday.

Additionally, mangrove forests near the Thane station will also be impacted due to the bullet train project. However, officials have mentioned that they are reworking on the design as per orders from the Environment Ministry.

Separately, Mumbai is currently witnessing the fifth consecutive day of incessant rains. Mumbai monsoons end up flooding the city every year that leads to a breakdown of civic amenities.