Hundreds of people in Mumbai have been staging protests to oppose the slashing of over 2,700 trees in the Aarey forests. The protest garnered greater support and momentum after Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, made an attempt to defend the move.
Adivasis in the area, along with the locals participated in the protest on Sunday, September 8.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule took to Twitter to express her support. She was joined by the locals at Aarey Colony who protested against Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Tree Authority’s decision to slash trees in the locality.
Interacted with the Members of Press at Aarey Colony along with Smt. Vidya Chavan (@Vidyaspeaks) – MLC. pic.twitter.com/X731wXsGBL
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) September 8, 2019
“I care about the Aarey Colony. Environmentalists are opposing the cutting down of trees in the area. Global warming has become a big challenge for us,” Sule said.
Explaining that NCP believes in a development that is not at the cost of cutting down trees, Sule said that the party has always voted against the cutting down of trees in the municipal corporation.
BJP Shivsena led Maharashtra Govt has a dire track record of Deforestation under the garb of Development.
54K mangroves have been destroyed in Mumbai
2700 trees will be cut down in the #AareyForest
800 trees will be cut in Bharat Vann Nagpur https://t.co/GoQQOMUnjW
— Maharashtra Congress (@INCMaharashtra) September 5, 2019
Sule also expressed her wish to meet the Chief Minister and urge him to listen to the protestors and address them.
Requesting @CMOMaharashtra to think of alternatives rather than cutting the trees in the name of development #AareyColony. (2/2)
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) September 8, 2019
“As a Mumbaikar, I would want to meet the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis on September 12. There are many people who are opposing the cutting of trees and the Chief Minister should hear them out,” she said.
Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray also took to Twitter to express his concerns over the decision to cut trees in the name of development.
In the case of Aarey, when we speak of taking up the environment cause, the results of the vote in the tree committee as I hear are as follows: BJP, NCP and the court appointed members voted for deforestation in the proposed area of the car shed. Congress happily walked out (1/n)
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019
“Only Shiv Sena had refrained from supporting the chopping of trees in Aarey forest for building a car shed for the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation’s Metro-3 project,” Thackeray said talking about the diminishing green cover in Mumbai.
Only the Shiv Sena has stuck to our stand of standing for environment when the metro authority has an option to shift the car shed. We voted against the proposal to hack trees in Aarey and fought to find an alternative which is available. (2/n)
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019
We all want sustainable development and when there’s an option to save the environment and especially a green area where leopards and other species roam free within a city, the government must save it. It’s not that there’s no option. It’s stubbornness. (4/n)
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019
Several celebrities and film stars also came out in support of the movement.
Thank you Aaditya for speaking up for #AareyForest. All the citizens of #Mumbai hope and plead with our @CMOMaharashtra to ensure this biodiverse area is protected and the metro car shed is built at an alternative location easily available to the gov. @ConserveAarey https://t.co/jGfWfr7d8P
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) August 29, 2019
Aarey is the world’s only forest which is located in the middle of a metropolis and is home to a huge diversity of insects, reptiles, mammals and also more than 7000 indigenous tribal people who are dependent on the forest for their living.
After a continuous protest against the felling of trees in Aarey, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday, September 9 said that the trees should only be cut when the development of a project is restricted or stopped. He also suggested that a person should be made to plant 10 trees for every tree slashed by him or her.
Also Read: Maharashtra: To Save Trees In Thane, Citizens Go Back To Chipko Movement
