The Aam Aadmi Party Mumbai on Monday vehemently opposed the construction of an RTO shed in the Aarey forests for which a tender notice has been issued by the Public Works Department .
AAP in a release said that the Aarey forest is the shared natural heritage of 1.5 crore Mumbaikars. Not only is Aarey the largest catchment area for ground water percolation in Mumbai, but also is the source of two of Mumbai's rivers - the Oshiwara and the Mithi. It is also a hotspot teeming with biodiversity and Schedule 2 species as defined in the Wildlife Act 1972.
The party recalled that the Aarey movement was a city-wide movement having support from across the spectrum. The Aam Aadmi Party has been at the forefront of the movement to save the forest.
"Mumbai has ample land which can be used for whatever purposes the government deems fit; we cannot allow the government to encroach on the forest land for any purposes whatsoever. We urge the Chief Minister and the Maharashtra Government to withdraw the tender to construct the RTO shed at the earliest, failing which, we will be compelled to start an on-ground agitation." said Preeti Sharma Menon, National Executive Member and Mumbai Prabhari.
Menon noted that the Aarey is a designated forest, an environmentally sensitive zone, and a green buffer zone. The construction activity is simply impermissible given the sensitive ecology of the area.
