Development vs environmental safety is a theme that is dominating discourse and agitating minds around the world. Often, as in Mumbai’s Aarey Milk Colony, this debate comes to a head on the ground. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) and Green NGO activists are in the midst of a battle over the construction of a Metro car depot at the Aarey Milk Colony. The bone of contention is clearing of land for the project, which entails hacking off over 2,600 trees to start work on the Metro line and the carshed. The MMRC has assured that each tree cut to make way for the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro line 3, would be replaced, even if with a slight change in location. That seems to be a reasonable assurance from the authorities, as the MMRC has also identified three nurseries that will plant and nurture the saplings, four years hence, when the line will be opened to the public.

The survival rate of such saplings is 45% and three planting attempts will be made for those that don’t survive. The location for 60-65% of the new population of flora has already been identified. Clearly, to suggest that the carshed be shifted altogether because it could harm the environment, is to exaggerate a point. If that logic is stretched beyond a reasonable limit, then all developmental activities would come to a halt. Sure, re-planting saplings is not an easy exercise, but out-of-the box efforts need to be made if a development project for public welfare is to be executed. In addition, the record of some NGOs as obstructionists also needs to be probed. As reported in this paper, one of the most vociferous NGOs protesting against the Aarey Metro project has been accused of financial inconsistencies, which only leads to more questions than answers.