Aarey Road repairs puts wildlife at risk

BMC begins asphalting the Aarey Milk Colony road stretch from the VIP Guest House to Picnic Point. Pics/Nimesh Dave

The BMC is set to begin asphalting the Aarey Milk Colony road stretch from the VIP Guest House to Picnic Point, which was originally planned to be constructed with cement concrete. Switching to asphalt may hinder the inclusion of wildlife underpasses recommended by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). On Monday, mid-day visited the stretch between the VIP Guest House and Picnic Point and found that the BMC had started removing the top layer of the existing asphalt road over a 200-300 metre stretch.

On August 2, mid-day reported (BMC's Aarey road switch risks wildlife underpasses) that the BMC had planned to upgrade the Aarey colony's main road to a cement concrete (CC) road. However, the 3-kilometre stretch from the VIP Guest House to Powai, known for wildlife crossings, was at risk of not receiving the proposed underpasses. Due to the narrow road and heavy traffic, the BMC is considering using asphalt instead, which would mean 14 planned underpasses would not be constructed, endangering wildlife, including leopards.

Previously, mid-day reported that 31 wildlife underpasses were proposed for the Aarey Milk Colony road. Of these, 15 have already been constructed on completed sections of the CC road. If the BMC proceeds with asphalting the stretch between the VIP Guest House main gate and the Aarey Check Naka near Filter Pada, citing the lack of traffic diversion options and the road's narrow width, the remaining 14 underpasses will not be built.

The BMC began work on converting the Aarey colony main road to cement concrete in 2022, with the target completion being by 2025. The 4-kilometre section from the Western Express Highway is already finished. The project's total budget for the 7.2-kilometre road is Rs 51.6 crore.

Every morning and during peak hours, the stretch from the VIP Guest House junction to Filter Pada and Powai experiences heavy traffic jams. During monsoon season, this road becomes uneven and riddled with potholes, causing difficulties for daily commuters. Many feel that upgrading the road to cement concrete is essential to address these issues. When contacted, forest department officials were unavailable for comment.

"The stretch between the VIP Guest House gate and the Aarey Check Naka near Filter Pada lacks an alternative route for traffic diversion. Concreting would take significantly longer than asphalting, worsening traffic congestion. Based on suggestions from traffic police, we decided to construct the road with asphalt instead. The work has already been approved," said Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar.

When asked about the wildlife underpasses, Bangar said, "There was already an asphalt road. The asphalt road is at a lower height compared to the height of a concrete road. It is not possible to construct underpasses on an asphalt road. I need to verify the official communication with SGNP officials regarding the underpasses."