PIX: Meet the Aarey Warriors

Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com meets the Mumbaikars protesting the decision to relocate the Metro carshed back in the city’s Aarey Colony forest, an ecological disaster.

Mumbaikars took to the streets on Sunday in protest against the Eknath Shinde government's decision to resume the construction of metro car sheds in the Aarey Colony forest, claiming the project was being developed at the expense of the forest area.

The Aarey forest is a 1,800-acre area which is often termed the city's "green lung".

Soon after Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the new Maharashtra chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the deputy chief minister, the state government directed the advocate general that the metro car shed be built in Mumbai's Aarey Colony itself.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thakeray also participated in the protest on Sunday, saying that this was a fight for Mumbai and its forest life.

"Under our government, we had declared 808 acres of land as forests. We fought for forests to protect our tribals. When we were here, no trees were uprooted," he said.

Claiming that metro cars go for maintenance every three-four months and not every night, the government can afford to build sheds in Kanjurmarg, he said.

"If sheds are built in Kanjurmarg, forest life will be preserved, along with tribal life and money," he said.

Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com profiles some of the protestors who were there to fight for their city.