Mumbai comes to standstill yet again due to waterlogging, stampede, suffocation, electrocution, wall collapses, loss of lives, the epidemic of water-borne diseases, and non productivity. The real reason for Mumbai Bandh is not heavy rainfall but unplanned infrastructure development, large scale concretisation of the city, destruction of forest cover and mangroves, and insensitivity of the government towards sustainable development besides the unpreparedness of civic officials, outdated drainage system, lack of new technology, etc. To sum it up, it is the failure of governance that puts the financial capital of the world's largest democracy into agony and disgrace.
One of the most vital steps in flood prevention is restoring the flood plains of Mumbai's rivers. A flood plain is a low-lying area of land along a river which acts as a natural spillway for floodwater during spells of heavy rain. Aarey Forest acts as a flood plain to Mithi River. Environment experts have said that Mumbai can reduce the impact of heavy rains if its restores sections of the flood plains of its rivers. Construction of Metro Car shed in Aarey forest will prove disastrous as the river will be losing its interaction with the floodplains.
The Mumbai Tree Authority has issued their notice for the cutting/ removal of 2702 trees for the Metro3 Car Depot for which it is inviting suggestions and objections.
Citizens, this is the time when all of us who are really concerned about saving our green spaces have an opportunity to make our important contribution. Let us all collectively bombard the tree authority with our objections to the cutting of 2702 trees in Aarey. There are two ways of sending your objections:
1. Click on the link below and add your details. An email to Jitendra Pardeshi (Superintendent of Garden Department & Tree Authority, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) will be sent on your behalf.
https://act.airalert.in/petitions/send-your-objections-to-save-aarey-mumbai-s-green-lungs?bucket=mailing_2663-email-aareyett_20190701&source=whatsapp-share-button
2. Send an email with your objection from your personal email address to sg.gardens@mcgm.gov.in
Sample of the objection Email in English:
SUBJECT: To object against the proposal of removal of 2702 trees in Aarey colony for metro 3 carshed work.
I (your name) refer to your Public Notice dated 30.06.2019 inviting objections to cut/remove around 2702 trees at Aarey Forest for Mumbai Metro 3 car shed related work.
As a citizen of India and resident of Mumbai, we strongly object – AGAIN - to any proposal to cut/remove trees in Aarey forest, Mumbai and urge you to deny any such permission. Proposals to chop down trees at Aarey have been put up repeatedly and every time citizens have objected. Last year, this same proposal received more than 60,000 objections and an angry citizenry turned up to protest at the public hearing as well.
Aarey is the last remaining green lungs of the city. It is not only the green lungs, but also the green sponge of Mumbai.
The Mumbai Metro 3 Car shed that is currently being constructed within Aarey (on the beds of the Mithi River) is a category 3 polluting industry. It is being built here despite the availability of alternate locations (Kanjurmarg, Mumbai University, Dharavi, Bombay Port Trust, SEEPZ, BackBay, Mahalaxmi Race Course) and the recommendations of the government’s own expert committee. Repeated objections and appeals from citizens groups from across the city seem to be falling on deaf ears.
A good tree cover doesn't just give us oxygen and filter the air we breathe, it also regulates our climate, drainage, and water table. According to international benchmarks, there must be approximately 7 trees per person. But in Mumbai, we are averaging less than 1 tree per person.
In 2018 alone, proposals to remove more than 8000 trees have been put up. This year, tree removal notices are averaging around 6000 grown, mature trees. As for transplantation, records have shown that more than 55 percent of the transplanted trees do not survive. Also, a good tree cover is required to be spread all across the city. So there is little sense in removing trees from one area and transplanting them elsewhere.
As residents of this city, we feel compelled to express just how worried we are at the state of the rising toxicity of the air that we are breathing.
It is a matter of inconceivable oversight that MMRCL has not taken into consideration the factors pertaining to environmental degradation while planning its metro project. We would like to take this opportunity to point out yet again that it is both illegal and unconstitutional for public sector undertakings like MMRDA, MMRCL or BMC to promote environmental destruction.
Putting an immediate ban on all tree felling activity in the city of Mumbai, not just at Aarey, will go a long way in assuring residents of this city BMC's willingness to seriously listen to citizens' concerns regarding their degrading environment.
Yours Truly,
Your Full Name
Sample Objection Letter in Marathi:
माननीय महोदय ,
मेट्रो 3 साठी आपण 2702 झाडे तोडण्या साठी नागरिकांकडून हरकती मागविल्या आहेत त्या बाबत हा पत्र प्रपंच !
मुंबईचा एक जबाबदार नागरिक या नात्याने मी आपण नमूद केलेल्या (किंवा नमूद ने केलेल्या सुद्दा) आरे च्या प्रभागातील कुठल्याही वृक्ष तोडीला त्रिव्र विरोध नोंदवतो .या अगोदर वेळोवेळी समस्त नागरिकांनी या वृक्ष तोडीला विरोध नोंदवला आहे शिवाय गेल्या वर्षी पालिकेच्या अश्याच एका सुनावणीत जवळपास 60000 नागरिकांना आपणास लेखी /इमेल स्वरूपात हरकत/निषेध/नकार नोंदवला आहे .त्या वेळच्या जनसुनावणीत हजारो नागरिकांच्या उपस्थित योग्य उत्तरे न देता पालिका अधिकाऱ्यांनी पळ काढला होता .जागरूक नागरिकांचा इतका अमूल्य वेळ त्यामुळे फुकट गेला होता त्यासाठी पालिके कडून साधी माफीही मागण्यात आली नाही .
आरे हा राष्ट्रीय उद्याना नंतरचा या शहरातला शेवटचा हरित पट्टा आहे .मुंबई शहराच्या फुफुसांचे काम आरे मधले सदाहरित वृक्ष करत आहेत . या जंगलात जवळपास 77 पक्षांच्या प्रजाती,34 जंगली फुलांच्या प्रजाती,46 सरपटणाऱ्या प्राणांच्या प्रजाती, 86 फुलपाखरांच्या प्रजाती, शिवाय सस्तन प्राण्यांच्या 16 प्रजाती याचसोबत अतिशय दुर्मिळ असा बिबट्या यांचा अधिवास आहे आणि यांचे तज्ञ अहवाल या आधीच सादर झाले आहेत . शिवाय मेट्रो शेड साठी नियुक्त केलेल्या समितीने या आधी पर्याय म्हणून इतर 6 जागांची सूचना देखील केली आहे त्यातील पर्यायी जागा निवडण्यात यावी असे माझे मत आहे !
जागतिक शहर मानांकनानुसार प्रत्येक शहरात किमान 7 झाडे पर माणसी असणे आवश्यक आहे . मुंबईत ते प्रमाण 1 झाड एक माणूस या पेक्षाही कमी आहे .वृक्ष प्राधिकरणाच्या समिती मध्ये तज्ञ मंडळींना याचे नक्कीच भान आणि अभ्यास असेल अशी मी आशा बाळगतो.
2018 साली जवळपास 8000 झाडांसाठी (तोडण्यासाठी)अशी संमती मागण्यात आली ,चालू वर्षात देखील हा आकडा 6000 झाडांपेक्षा जास्त आहे ..याच पद्धतीने जर पूर्ण वाढलेल्या झाडांचा नायनाट केला गेला तर भविष्यतल्या आमच्या पिढ्यानी या शहरात कसा श्वास घ्याचया ?
प्रत्येक वेळी नागरिकांनी रस्त्यावर उतरून झाडांसाठी , मोकळ्या हवेसाठी आंदोलन करावे अशी पालिकेची धारणा आहे काय? वृक्ष प्राधिकरणाचे मूळ कर्तव्य झाडे वाचवणे आणि जगवणे हे आहे ना ? कि केवळ वृक्षतोड परवानग्या देणे ?
आरे मध्ये मेट्रो 3 सकट इतर कुठल्याही प्रकल्पासाठी एकही झाडं तोडल्या जाण्यास माझा आता आणि यापुढे कधीही आक्षेप आहे ,तो त्वरित "हरित पट्टा" जाहीर करून तिथे कुठल्याही बांधकामास परवानगी देऊ नये अशी मी विनंती करतो !
आणि एकंदरीत मुंबई तला ढासळलेला हवेचा दर्जा बघता यापुढे कुठल्याही कामासाठी वृक्षतोडीची सरसकट परवानगी न देता सारासार चर्चा , अतिरिक्त पर्याय यावर भर देऊन मार्ग काढावा अशी मी विनंती करतो !
Try to spread the message about objection letter to as many people as possible to pressurise BMC & MMRCL to stop destroying our Aarey forest. Remember the objection letter should reach till 1pm by 8th July, 2019.