Environmentalists maintain that such infrastructure expansion and improvement can be ecologically detrimental to the area. (File) After opposition from environmentalists, who are against the widening of the main road in Aarey Milk Colony, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday stated that there is no proposal to widen the stretch.
The statement released by the civic body said, “The scope of work includes improvement of the existing road for the available width in cement concrete. There is no proposal of widening the existing asphalt road.”
The Aarey main road is 8-km-long and 7-meter-wide (two-lanes) asphalt road.
The statement further reads, “During the improvement of road, due care will be taken to protect existing trees and the adjoining Aarey forestry. Necessary mitigation measures will be taken care of as per the direction of Chief Conservator of Forest.”
Environmentalists maintain that such infrastructure expansion and improvement can be ecologically detrimental to the area. The Aarey main road connects the Western Express Highway to the P/South (Goregaon West) K/East (Andheri east) and S Wards (Powai-Bhandup).In a letter to the BMC, Zoru Bathena, an environmentalist stated, “It appears that, by widening the existing road,
BMC intends to permit more vehicles to use this road in contravention of the provisions of the ESZ Notification, which directs that traffic must be regulated (controlled) in such ESZ areas. It should not be used as some sort of traffic short-cut.”
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