Residents wonder why internal paths are being ignored, experts say new stretch will spell doom for forest
The new road being constructed from the market to Royal Palms in Aarey Milk Colony. Pic/Anurag Ahire
Residents of certain parts of Aarey Milk Colony continue to struggle with poor road conditions, while authorities have begun constructing a new road from Aarey Market to Royal Palms. This has raised concerns among residents in other areas of Aarey. Spread across 16 sq km, Aarey Milk Colony comprises 27 tribal hamlets, slum pockets, several cattle farm units and the Royal Palms area. More than 60,000 live in Aarey. mid-day has highlighted the bad condition of internal roads in Aarey several times.
The situation of some roads is so bad that auto-rickshaws and cab drivers refuse to come to the area. Cattle farm owner Imran Udat said, “Don’t we deserve better road infrastructure? The Konkan Vikas Mahamandal Road leading to Unit 15 from Lotus Lake is in such poor condition that it causes significant inconvenience. Senior citizens are particularly affected, as cab and rickshaw drivers are unwilling to travel this route. While authorities have begun repairing the road from Aarey Market to Royal Palms, we are left wondering when our road will receive the same attention.”
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Cattle farm owners transporting milk also have to pass through uneven road surfaces that sometimes result in a breakdown of the vehicle. In March 2024, news reports revealed that the Bombay High Court instructed the Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries Department to accelerate the repair of 45 km of internal roads in Aarey Milk Colony.
Environmentalist Stalin D from NGO Vanashakti said, “The BMC is constructing the road from Aarey Market towards Royal Palms without obtaining permission from the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) monitoring committee. Residents of Aarey are unable to repair their dilapidated homes without approval from the ESZ monitoring committee. Then how can the BMC proceed with road construction? The motive behind this road appears to be to benefit Royal Palms. Once the original official road to Royal Palms is abandoned, then all trucks, dumpers and heavy machinery will use the ESZ roads in the forests and wreak havoc on the environment. The BMC is working to satisfy its political masters in cahoots with contractors. How can public money be spent by two agencies for a project that will benefit private developers?”
An engineer from the Public Works Department also told mid-day that at present they are not carrying out any road making or repairs in Aarey Milk Colony but the process of road repairing of internal roads is in the pipeline. When contacted, BMC officials were unavailable for comment.
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