The citizens thronged the MMRDA building auditorium in Bandra Kurla Complex in hundreds to participate for the public hearing in response to cutting down of 2702 trees in Aarey forest. There were professionals, teachers and students who missed their offices and schools to come for the hearing. The indigenous tribes who have been inhabiting Aarey forest for centuries and now have been displaced due to the Metro 3 car shed too came for the public hearing. Till 1pm on 8th July, BMC received 115000 objection letters & nearly 800 Mumbai citizens came to attend the public hearing.
A tribal woman Asha tai, from the tribal community at Aarey whose lands and homes were at stake, delivered an emotional speech about the quashing of their basic rights, adding that their opinions were never considered.
Another tribal woman complained that MMRDA officials came to their house and started cutting their trees. “My land is left with pits and ravines, their children have to walk in deep puddles risking their safety. Who will be responsible for my wretched condition due to the construction for metro 3 car shed happening in the area?”
A concerned gentleman asked where will MMRCL get tonnes of water to wash the car shed in times of water crisis? Are they going to compromise on the groundwater level of the forest and leave the tribals and wildlife dry?
Points raised by citizens before Tree Authority raised by citizens against car shed:
1. Loss of 2703 trees amount to the loss of vital ecosystem, biodiveristy, and ecology of Aarey forest.
2. Loss of flood plains of Mithi river by the construction of car shed will result in increased floods in Mumbai.
3. Transplantation or new plantation cannot be a substitute for deforestation. Proposal for replantation is unviable, unsustainable and unscientific. Firstly, in the scenario of the water crisis, where will tonnes of water come for plantation of new 20000 plantations. The new plantations are not capable of carbon sequestration like the fully grown trees. The survival rate of transplanted trees is marginal.
4. First, maintain the existing thriving forest of hundreds of years then think of developing mini new urban forest.
5. Car shed will lead to penetration of harmful chemicals into the soil thus poisoning the groundwater level & ecosystem of Aarey colony.
6. When other viable sites are available within the city then why not shift car shed out of Aarey.
7. Car shed will displace the indigenous tribes of Aarey from their ancestral lands and livelihood.
8. When & how is Tree Authority making MMRCL accountable for illegal cutting of trees in Aarey inspite of the court stay order.
9. What legal rights Tree Authority has to conduct a public hearing when it has a stay order from the court?
10. What were MMRCL members doing on stage when this was a public hearing was by Tree Authority of India?
11. What is the further course of action after this public hearing?
12. Why no member representing tree authority gave their comments on the issue of car shed?
13. What will tree authority do of more than 1 lakh signatures it received in response to 30.06.19 public notice?
14. What has tree authority done of nearly 40000 signatures it received last year?
15. Why did tree authority choose MMRDA auditorium where not more than 200 people can be accommodated when it receives thousands of objection letters?
16. There needs to be Social Impact Analysis & Environment Impact Analysis before undertaking any infrastructure project.
17. The public hearing should be made available in the form of the white paper.
18. There should be scientists, experts, environmentalists, tribal representatives, citizen representatives, and qualified professionals on the tree authority panel.
19. There shouldn’t be any further public hearings whereby the productivity of citizens is stake.
20. Unanimously all the points lead to the fact that Mumbai Metro 3 car shed should go out of Aarey forest.