The government has been trying hard to fool citizens by portraying the urgency of cutting trees to make space for the development of the city. Surprisingly, many citizens are buying the government’s theory of reducing air pollution by cutting 2703 trees in Aarey forest! So if 2702 trees are massacred for gifting Mumbai a car shed (not metro), what are 70 more trees in a forest being massacred for? According to MMRDA, 70 trees are cut in Aarey forest to develop a Metro Bhavan. More figures of tree cutting will erupt soon as the Maharashtra government last week sanctioned a zoological park across 76.8ha and the state forest department plans to rehabilitate encroachments within SGNP across a 36.42ha plot within Aarey.

Maharashtra government has tried to give Environment vs Development tone to the genuine protests happening for saving the green lungs of Mumbai when actually the fight is between Environment vs Vested Interests. What development will an average citizen achieve when its pristine forest is usurped for rehabilitating the encroachers in a forest? What development will an average citizen achieve when its forest is usurped for caging the wildlife in a zoo? 

Aarey forest is being gifted to the vested interests lobby under the garb of development beginning with the construction of Metro car shed. The dairy department, which manages Aarey Milk Colony, has permitted the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to begin construction work for the 32-storey Metro Bhavan, which is likely to require the felling of at least 70 trees on the allotted plot. According to a letter dated October 11, the dairy department authorised MMRDA to initiate construction for the building on the 2.03 hectare (ha) plot reserved for Metro Bhavan and Metro Rail-allied users.

According to a report in the Indian Express, the government had passed Rs 60 lakhs for funding the construction of a conservation wall of the zoo in July this year, which is planned to be built in the Tulsi forest area, located between Marol and Aarey. The grant was approved by the forest department through a government resolution (GR) on October 9. While trees will also be hacked for the construction, the GR does not mention the number.

Already 62Ha have been demanded by MMRCL for car shed against 50Ha claimed by MMRCL. 36Ha for Slum rehabilitation project, 177Ha for Film city, 1.6Ha for RTO, 2Ha for Metro bhavan, 97.12Ha for Zoo. Total 346.72Ha of Aarey is going for development projects. And this is 2019! Can we imagine how this beautiful, pristine and green forest will look in another few years if similar projects are pushed in Aarey forest under the disguise of development by the bureaucracy, which are been validated by the judicial system and supported by the uninformed citizens?