As we head into World Environment Day, The Logical Indian will be focusing on the #ClimateCrisis upon us and highlight the harsh realities about the environment we are living in. It will be our effort to bring out the true picture of the situation and offer ideas and solutions to mitigate the problem.

Chipko Movement 2.0

In Thane, Mumbai, several people climbed onto a peepal tree to save it from being cut down for the construction of Metro-3 at Church Gate.

Aarati Tamore and Abhay Bavishi, two young residents of Mumbai, disturbed with the scale of deforestation for the Metro-3 project (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) in south Mumbai, took a stand to protect the green lungs of Bombay.

“I am not a big nature lover. I am just a regular human being. We want the High Court to constitute an unbiased committee that will take a call on replantation and transplantation of these trees, and make someone accountable.” , Aarti Tamore, member, Aarey Conservation Group (ACG) told The Hindu.

Protestors along with Tamora and Bavish were taken to the Marine Drive police station and were released only after the trees were cut.

The Metro Project is expected to cut down 1,074 trees and transplant 1,727 trees, which makes it to an approximate of 3000 trees that will be uprooted by the establishment for setting up 27 stations as a part of this project.

A total of 40 students staged a protest at different stations.

Active participation to save the environment

Trees lovers, activists and environmentalists in and around Thane have decided to save the trees by tying rakhis to the trees and take a pledge of nurturing them in future.

Members of Aarey Conservation Group and large numbers of people and school children participated in a silent protest to save them from getting axed. They requested the government to review its judgement over the mass deforestation in Aarey colony.

The Logical Indian spoke to Elsie Gabriel, Founder of the Young Environmentalists Programme Trust who is a part of the agitation in Thane. “I feel citizens are not connected to the ecology spiritually, so just a superficial bond with what’s happening in the city isn’t enough to make them fight for the trees. We plant trees in Powai to make up for every tree that is cut across the city,” she said.

The citizens of Mumbai have signed several petitions to save the trees in the Thane and maintain the ecological balance, as they inspire more and more people to come out in their support.

Famous lyricist Piyush Mishra, an active supporter of Aarey’s green cover, has released a music video to make people aware of the deforestation and ecology. He said, “It’s high time something was done to save the city’s green tracts. We can breathe in Mumbai because of green tracts like Aarey, so it’s our responsibility to protect them from being cut in the name of development.”

“In Western countries, people treat trees like a god or a saviour; see what we are doing. Why don’t they build a car shed at another convenient place?” Piyush Mishra, a lyricist and an active supporter of Mumbai’s green cover told The Hindu. 

Development Or Destruction?

The development projects like the Metro-3 construction at the church gate promises convenience and accessibility to scores of people, but at the cost of the local green cover.

The scale of destruction in some cases like Thane can be far greater than the promised development and government must find a balance between the two.

Development cannot be at the cost of other living organisms and nature. Sustainability should be prioritized at all cost over short term gains. 

While hundreds of citizens of Mumbai stand against the orders of  Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (MMRCL), people in many parts of the country are coming out in support of Thane residents and to spread the word on several social media platforms.

The Logical Indian stands by the people of Thane in their quest to preserve their local green cover. The green belt in Thane has been damaged and uprooted for many developmental projects and more and more people are coming together to save it. This article is part of a campaign to create awareness on environmental issues and the #ClimateCrisis that is impending on the earth.

Also Read: Good News: Delhi HC Stays Cutting Of 14,000 Trees For VIP Residents Till July 4