ABP Shikhar Sammelan: Fadnavis Defends Mumbai Metro Project; Says ‘Aarey Govt Land, Not Forest’

New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pon Monday defended the Mumbai metro project which has triggered the controversy over cutting down of trees in Aarey,  by stating that the metro project is a green project and that the felling of trees for car depot was inevitable. Speaking to ABP News in its flagship summit Shikhar Sammelan ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, Fadnavis said that all the assessments of the project from the environment point of view has already been done. He asserted that the metro will help in the mitigation of carbon foot print.” He said that the government has led plantation of 23,000 tress before proposing the felling of the trees. “It is sad that trees have to be cut down, but this cannot be stopped. There isn’t an option. Moreover Aarey is neither a forest land nor an eco-sensitive zone.” He said that it does not fall under protected or restricted zone and is an open government land. Fadnavis asserted that plantation programmes will repair the damage done by the cutting of trees and also said that the government has a rehabilitation plan in place. Maintaining that felling of tress in Aarey was the only possible way, CM also said that people have different opinions on Aarey land, and that he respects all of them. Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation has announced its plan to cut down over 2,700 trees from Aarey colony in order to build a car shed for the Metro. The colony, spread over 13,000 hectares, is home to over 27 Adivasi villages and inhabits various animal species. The proposal has been opposed by activists and has led to a huge controversy. Watch Maharashtra CM's full conversation with ABP News: