The state government on Thursday informed the Bombay High Court that its Urban development department has sent a communication to the BMC that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had given his nod to hand over 45 km internal roads in Aarey Milk Colony to the civic body for their maintenance and repair. The Urban department wrote to BMC stating that the Aarey CEO and BMC Commissioner will jointly decide which roads to be handed over to the civic body and said no trees shall be cut for maintenance and repair work. The Urban department also said that it will be BMC's responsibility to avail environmental clearances, if that is required for repair work. The BMC said that it will examine the letter. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin M Jamdar and Justice Sandeep V Marne was hearing a plea by Binod Agarwal, a former Indian Navy staffer and a resident of Royal Palms in Aarey colony. NGO Vanashakti had filed an intervention plea seeking direction to the authorities to repair and reconstruct the roads within the Forest and Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ) areas of Aarey without any adverse impact to the natural environment. He submitted that the entire road in Aarey colony is in poor condition and it becomes a 'mini pond' during the rainy season. “The condition has been the worst for the past three years and no action has been taken to repair and rebuild it,” reads the petition. Agarwal also said that as the MMRDA and other government agencies have transferred roads for maintenance to the BMC, the same can be done in the case of Aarey's internal roads as well. On November 29, the MMRDA had handed over the control of Western Express Highway and Eastern Express Highway to the BMC. Thereafter, the court had asked the state government as to what steps were taken to repair Aarey colony’s internal road which is in a bad state and why it was not maintained properly. On Thursday, the government lawyer submitted a June 6 communication by N B Marale, Deputy Secretary, Urban department to BMC Commissioner and CEO of Aarey Milk Colony. The Urban department referred to the September 30, 2022 order of the HC in another matter which noted BMC Commissioner's suggestion that if all the roads within BMC area are handed over to it, the task of coordination and monitoring, upkeep of the roads would become more effective and convenient. The court had asked the state government to consider the BMC commissioner's suggestion. In light of this, the Urban department wrote to the BMC commissioner and Aarey colony CEO that the chief minister has granted approval for the handover and further action shall be taken about the same. BMC’s lawyer submitted that it would examine the letter, after which the bench posted the next hearing to July 6.
