Sule welcomes Maha govt's move to reserve Aarey land as forest

NCP MP Supriya Sule on Thursday thanked Maharashtra government for its decision to reserve 600-acre Aarey land near Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in suburban Mumbai as forest.

Sule said while y all support development, it cant be achieved at cost of environment.

Her party is an ally of Uddhav Thackeray-led state government, which on Wednesday decided to reserve 600-acre Aarey land near SGNP as a forest and conserve it.

Chief Minister Thackeray said forest would be first example of a "huge jungle" being conserved at centre of a megapolis.

Welcoming decision, Sule said, "Whilst we are all supportive on developmental issues, same cant be done at cost of environment. Thanking Govt. of Maharashtra declaring 600 acres of Aarey land near Sanjay Gandhi National Park as forest," tweeted Sule, who is Lok Sabha member from Baramati in Pune.

Thackeray on Wednesday said this jungle will be "first instance of an extensive forest blossoming within limits of a metropolis anywhere in world".

land of reserved forest excludes area on which controversial Metro car shed project in Aarey Colony is taking shape.

forested Aarey Colony in suburban Goregaon is a prominent green lung of Mumbai.