Family rule and the brake on Mumbai’s development—Aarey metro car shed dispute and the stalled Metro-3 project!

When Uddhav Thackeray became Chief Minister, it was not merely a change of government in Maharashtra—the entire equation of power was transformed. By breaking the alliance with the BJP and forming a partnership with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, Uddhav Thackeray assumed the Chief Minister’s office. With this shift, the influence of a single family became established both in the Maharashtra government and in the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation). As soon as this new chapter of power began, several development-oriented decisions taken during the BJP’s tenure were swiftly reversed, one after another. Among them, the most widely discussed decision—one that directly impacted Mumbai’s development—was the opposition to the Metro-3 car shed at Aarey. This single decision forced Mumbai’s crucial Metro-3 project to endure a delay of nearly two and a half years. Metro-3: The Backbone of Mumbai’s Speed Colaba–Bandra–SEEPZ (Metro-3) is Mumbai’s first fully underground metro corridor. Designed to simplify travel from South Mumbai to the western suburbs, it was widely regarded as a “game changer” for the city. However, no metro project can function on tunnels and stations alone. A car shed is essential for the repair, maintenance, parking, and technical control of metro trains. That is why land in Aarey Milk Colony was selected for the car shed, and work had already begun at the site. What Happened After Uddhav Thackeray Became Chief Minister? But after Uddhav Thackeray took office in 2019, one of the first major decisions of his government was to halt the construction of the Metro car shed at Aarey. Citing environmental concerns, the government announced that the car shed would be cancelled to “save Aarey’s greenery.” As an alternative, the government proposed Kanjurmarg as the new location. Yet, the decision—however emotionally appealing—proved administratively complex and practically unworkable. The Kanjurmarg Alternative: A Decision or a Distraction? The proposal to build the car shed at Kanjurmarg was introduced, but disputes over land ownership immediately erupted among the central government, the state government, and the concerned agencies. This led to legal proceedings. Fresh surveys, environmental clearances, and technical modifications became necessary. Work that had already been executed came to a standstill, and equipment lay idle. Costs escalated. The direct outcome was that the pace of the Metro-3 project was effectively paralysed. Environment or Politics? Environmental protection cannot be dismissed. Aarey is undeniably an important green zone for Mumbai. But the question is— If the Aarey decision was so flawed, why was it taken in the first place? How did a project that had passed judicial scrutiny and received official environmental clearance suddenly become “anti-environment” only after a change in power? This is precisely why many experts and opposition leaders alleged that politics was played in the name of the environment, and that the arrogance of power became an obstacle to development. A Two-and-a-Half-Year Delay: The Price Paid by Mumbaikars At the administrative level, it is widely acknowledged that these decisions caused the Metro-3 project a delay of at least two and a half years. The cost of this delay was borne directly by the citizens of Mumbai. Severe overcrowding in local trains, rising road congestion, and increased travel time were its visible consequences. The city suffered heavy losses in time, money, and overall productivity. Political decisions do not remain confined to files—they impact the daily lives of ordinary citizens. This episode stands as a vivid example. The Mahayuti Government’s Decision: Back to Aarey After 2022, the political leadership changed again. The Mahayuti coalition returned to power. In its very first cabinet meeting, the new government reinstated the decision to build the car shed at Aarey. The Kanjurmarg proposal was scrapped, and the Metro-3 car shed was shifted back to Aarey. Following this move, the stalled project regained momentum, work accelerated, and the process of commissioning Metro-3 moved forward. Family-Centred Power and the Struggle for Development This entire episode makes one point clear: when power is driven by ego and political stubbornness rather than public service, development becomes the first casualty. Even when the Thackeray family’s influence prevailed in both the state government and the BMC, decisions taken without prioritising Mumbai’s needs and welfare proved damaging to the city’s progress. Environmental protection is important—but stopping projects already approved on environmental grounds, obstructing development, repeatedly reversing decisions, and delaying projects for years raises a serious question: how justified is such an approach? The Aarey Metro car shed controversy is not limited to a single project. It has become a symbolic example of family-centred power, decision-making driven by stubbornness, and a “speed breaker” imposed on Mumbai’s development. And Mumbaikars will no longer tolerate politics in the name of the environment and repeated delays in development— because remember, Mumbai is not the private estate of any single family. BMC is not a family business #notafamilybusiness