Mumbai: 800 acres of Aarey declared forest, metro shed to be shifted

Mumbai : Around 800 acres of Mumbai's Aarey forest has been declared reserve forest and with that the construction of metro shed will be shifted to some other location, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said Sunday.

There was a massive protest against then Maharashtra government who wanted to cut down the forest for the development of metro car shed.

"This uncertainty over the car shed is over now. Biodiversity in Aarey needs to be to protected. There is an 800-acre jungle in an urban set-up... Mumbai has natural forest cover," he said, adding that the building already constructed in Aarey would be used for some other public purpose.

Maharashtra CM has also announced that all the cases filed against the Aarey forest protesters will be dropped.

Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray, who campaigned to save the trees, last month said the protesters had fought for the future of the planet and that the rights of Adivasi communities that call Aarey home would be protected.

Today, after the reserve forest announcement was made, Aaditya Thackeray tweeted: "Aarey saved!".