The Aam Aadmi Party, Mumbai, on Monday, expressed its vehement opposition to the construction of a Regional Transport Office (RTO) shed in the Aarey forest, for which a tender notice has been issued by the Public Works Department. 

According to the press release issued to the media, “Aarey forest is the shared natural heritage of 1.5 crore Mumbaikars. Not only is Aarey the largest catchment area for groundwater percolation in Mumbai, but is also the source of two of Mumbai’s rivers — namely, the Oshiwara and the Mithi. It is also a hotspot teeming with biodiversity and Schedule 2 species as defined in the Wildlife Act 1972. It may be recalled that the Aarey movement was a city-wide movement having support from across the spectrum. The Aam Aadmi Party has been at the forefront of the movement to save the forest.”