Amidst the striking rate of melting glaciers, water crisis, rising temperatures, flooding, the tragic case of the Amazon Forest burning for days with 20% of it lost, you would think that the government will start taking respective measures to curb the environmental crisis that the world is facing right now. But we were wrong.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Tree Authority recently cleared the proposal for cutting down more than 2,700 trees in Mumbai’s Aarey Forest in order to make a car shed for Metro-3 passengers.
#Aarey is such a beautiful expanse; we are lucky to be one of the few cities to actually have a green forest inside it.
Mumbaikars must come here to feel the silence & beauty of the forest. Only then will they realise its value.#SaveAarey@deespeak @TandonRaveena @RandeepHooda pic.twitter.com/MlD4c676gD— Ketan Nardhani (@ketan83) August 28, 2019
According to sources, the Tree Authority decided to compensate the loss by planting thrice as many saplings elsewhere. This is to be kept in mind that it takes years before a sapling turns into a tree, also that a great number dies in the process.
Social media is filled with posts opposing BMC’s step, voicing out the need to save the Aarey Forest. Amongst them are popular Bollywood celebrities like Dia Mirza, Vishal Dadlani, Disha Patani, and Esha Gupta who are strongly rebuking BMC’s decision of cutting down the trees amidst heavy climatic crisis.
These are the #MurderersOfAarey, the ones who have sold our right to breathe so that some developers may access #Aarey land in future. #NeverForget
Abhijit Samant,
Alka Kerkar,
Harish Bandirge,
Aakash Purohit… https://t.co/FW96HQipIy— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) August 30, 2019
This is sickening. Just sickening. This is our air that they have stolen. Our future, or lives, our familes' health. Hope everyone who caused this or let this happen, rots in the most painful hell. #Aarey #SaveAarey https://t.co/irGMvwf6nE
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) August 30, 2019
How can we let this happen!?! @Dev_Fadnavis @PMOIndia @NarendraModi @CMOMaharashtra @AUThackeray!!! Please please please help #Mumbaikars desperate call to disallow this massacre to reach the #TreeAuthority!!! #SaveAareyForest #SaveAareySaveMumbai #SDGs https://t.co/IwozwaQErr
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) August 30, 2019
Isha Gupta took to her Instagram to post a strong message:
Disha Patani too asked Mumbai citizens to rise up and speak out against BMC’s action:
Others have also joined the protest against Aarey deforestation:
#Mumbaikars speaking out against the cutting of #trees in #Aarey Every citizen of #Mumbai should raise their voice to #SaveAareyForest @fffmumbai1 @saveaarey @ConserveAarey @aareywarriors pic.twitter.com/gHcDQ8mfPX
— Macson Almeida (@mcsnalmeida) August 31, 2019
Mumbai: Citizens gather at Picnic Point to protest against BMC's proposal to axe over 2,000 trees in Aarey Colony. #Aarey #AareyAxing pic.twitter.com/SNM2ZRByVf
— TOI Mumbai (@TOIMumbai) August 31, 2019
Parking lot for wagons more important than oxygen! Then we wonder why floods increase in ferocity every year? Killing forests is nothing but killing humans, life, the earth….just wait for some more time.
The least you can do is Stop Arguing here as you wait to perish!#Aarey— Vijaya Moorthy (@vmoorthynow) August 29, 2019
Such a shame! All of Mumbai objected to the hacking of trees in #Aarey. But @BJP4Maharashtra totally disregarded the sentiments of Mumbai and it's future.
Why do we allow them to ruin our city? https://t.co/FqhjnqvzOR— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) August 29, 2019
What a shame that while @narendramodi postures to be a great savior of environment, on @Discovery and at @G7, BMC has cleared chopping of 2700 trees at #Aarey . We just had a deluge and a water crisis in Mumbai, and here we are chopping off the lung of Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/tQpj3eVVNh
— Vimlendu Jha (@vimlendu) August 30, 2019
Absolutely condemnable !
Tree Authority in #BMC passed a proposal to cut 2185 trees in #AareyForest.#BJP supported,#ShivSena opposed,#Congress boycotted.
Its full tamasha.#Aarey belongs to all. Its everbody’s responsblity to save it.
Why this division?#Congress must protest.— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) August 30, 2019
Very sad day for Aarey forest tribals, wildlife and Mumbaikars. Shocked that .@mybmc ignored 1,00,000+ objections from citizens and decided to axe 2700 trees in #Aarey. How can construction of metro car shed take priority over saving the green lungs of the city.#SaveAareyForest pic.twitter.com/Ms3UBCMUYK
— Vidya Chavan (@Vidyaspeaks) August 29, 2019
This is an absolutely shameful and condemnable step taken by authorities when every day our planet gets an inch closer to death!