A surge of public opposition has emerged in Mira Bhayandar, where residents from ten nearby villages have joined forces with environmental groups to protest against the proposed Metro Line 9 car shed in Dongari. The project, overseen by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), is under fire due to the anticipated felling of over 12,000 mature trees.
Although the identified land parcel is government-owned, it occupies an ecologically sensitive hillock within the jurisdiction of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation. Local communities argue that the project’s environmental cost is far too high for an area that serves as a vital green buffer for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. At the heart of the controversy is Metro Line 9, a 10.54-kilometre extension connecting Dahisar East to Mira Bhayandar. While the corridor promises improved suburban connectivity via eight elevated stations, critics insist that the car depot must be relocated to a less fragile site.
During a recent public hearing, hundreds of residents submitted a formal petition against the depot, raising concerns over large-scale deforestation and the technical difficulties of construction on uneven, elevated terrain. Villagers argue that the area’s natural forest cover supports biodiversity and cannot be replaced by compensatory plantations. The resistance is strongest in Dongri, Tarodi, Chowk, Pali, Uttan, Gorai, Manori, Rai, Morva, and Murdha — regions that still preserve some of the last remaining green corridors in northern Mumbai.
Environmental groups warn that destroying such ecosystems will undermine the city’s climate resilience, increase heat vulnerability, and disrupt local economies rooted in agriculture, fishing, and eco-tourism. While the MMRDA asserts that the car shed is crucial for Metro Line 9’s operations, no final clearance for construction has been granted. Protestors continue to urge the agency to pursue truly sustainable infrastructure that respects both environmental and social landscapes.
Source: Urban Acres
