The land being shifted is barely 6 acres, the larger issues still remain

The Issue

As per the latest news, the shift in land acquisition is only for a casting yard for the metro which required approximately six acres of land. The larger metro project still stands and will take over 300 hectares of the forest

Activist say that they are not against the expansion of the metro in Mumbai, but an ecologically sensitive area like Aarey forest, which is a green lung of Mumbai city and works as the largest natural air purifier for the city, cannot be swiped away in the name of development. There are plenty of non residential and industrial locations for the Metro car shed to be constructed but not at the cost of Mumbai’s lungs.

If trees from the Aarey forest are abolished in such huge number, the amount of carbon dioxide in Mumbai city will increase at an alarming state and the level of pollution will also increase multiple times. A study published in The Nature Conservancy says urban trees can remove as much as a quarter of the particulate matter pollution within a few meters, and when planted in the right places, can offer a very effective barrier, filtering unhealthy air and protecting local residents. Moreover, Mumbai city is always flooded during rainy season, the day is not far away when entire Mumbai would be drowned in flood.

The government is raising funds for forestation but who is going to investigate and calculate the survival rate of the transplanted trees. It will take another 5 years for trees to grow mature. While in these 5 years who knows how many more such projects are sanctioned and how many more projects will be sanctioned in coming years.

The NGT should not allow cutting of trees anywhere within the nation in the name of development. We should take lesson from U.S. as great areas are laying Barren.

“Many people are believing that the entire metro car shed project has been shifted, a false narrative is being projected by media reports,” Harshad, a local activist, told NewsClick. “We have been asking for a No Development Zone to be declared for the Aarey Forest and for it to be merged with Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It is important to remember the sheer number of projects that are coming up in the region, this includes the Metro-3 Car Shed project, the SRA scheme, the Metro Bhavan and the RTO scheme. So, while this decision by the MMRDA is significant, there is a long battle ahead. The casting yard was just one project. The forest is still at the gun point target for the implementation of other developmental projects.

If a huge number of people united raise their voice to fight against deforestation, we can together put pressure on the government officials to reconsider the Metro 3 project as well as all those projects that are being planned to implement at the cost of forests and other non-replenishable natural resources.

So please sign in to support.

 

 

image ref: https://www.newsclick.in/

avatar of the starter
Taoveda Dimensions NGOPetition StarterTaoveda Dimensions (NGO), a non-profit organization, is actively working with the vision to replenish natural environment and restore it to its natural glory. The mission is not only to bring peace & harmony to the outer world, but also to the inner self.

33,213

The Issue

As per the latest news, the shift in land acquisition is only for a casting yard for the metro which required approximately six acres of land. The larger metro project still stands and will take over 300 hectares of the forest

Activist say that they are not against the expansion of the metro in Mumbai, but an ecologically sensitive area like Aarey forest, which is a green lung of Mumbai city and works as the largest natural air purifier for the city, cannot be swiped away in the name of development. There are plenty of non residential and industrial locations for the Metro car shed to be constructed but not at the cost of Mumbai’s lungs.

If trees from the Aarey forest are abolished in such huge number, the amount of carbon dioxide in Mumbai city will increase at an alarming state and the level of pollution will also increase multiple times. A study published in The Nature Conservancy says urban trees can remove as much as a quarter of the particulate matter pollution within a few meters, and when planted in the right places, can offer a very effective barrier, filtering unhealthy air and protecting local residents. Moreover, Mumbai city is always flooded during rainy season, the day is not far away when entire Mumbai would be drowned in flood.

The government is raising funds for forestation but who is going to investigate and calculate the survival rate of the transplanted trees. It will take another 5 years for trees to grow mature. While in these 5 years who knows how many more such projects are sanctioned and how many more projects will be sanctioned in coming years.

The NGT should not allow cutting of trees anywhere within the nation in the name of development. We should take lesson from U.S. as great areas are laying Barren.

“Many people are believing that the entire metro car shed project has been shifted, a false narrative is being projected by media reports,” Harshad, a local activist, told NewsClick. “We have been asking for a No Development Zone to be declared for the Aarey Forest and for it to be merged with Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It is important to remember the sheer number of projects that are coming up in the region, this includes the Metro-3 Car Shed project, the SRA scheme, the Metro Bhavan and the RTO scheme. So, while this decision by the MMRDA is significant, there is a long battle ahead. The casting yard was just one project. The forest is still at the gun point target for the implementation of other developmental projects.

If a huge number of people united raise their voice to fight against deforestation, we can together put pressure on the government officials to reconsider the Metro 3 project as well as all those projects that are being planned to implement at the cost of forests and other non-replenishable natural resources.

So please sign in to support.

 

 

image ref: https://www.newsclick.in/

avatar of the starter
Taoveda Dimensions NGOPetition StarterTaoveda Dimensions (NGO), a non-profit organization, is actively working with the vision to replenish natural environment and restore it to its natural glory. The mission is not only to bring peace & harmony to the outer world, but also to the inner self.
Support now

33,213

The Decision Makers

Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray
Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray
Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra
Responded
“From the Chief Minister’s Office, Maharashtra Mumbaikars would be happy to note that the Maharashtra government has on 11th October, declared an 808-acre parcel of Aarey land near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park as a reserve forest. This decision is an acknowledgement and recognition of the concerns of citizens who had campaigned to save Aarey, an area which serves as Mumbai’s lungs. People’s participation in the sustainable development of Maharashtra has always been sacrosanct to the vision and mission of the government of Maharashtra. You will also be happy to note that the car shed will now be moved to Kanjurmarg from Aarey and the state government will provide the required land for “zero rupees” and the authorities have been instructed to begin work. As citizens and environmentalists who took to the streets to protest against the tree felling that was carried out at night, and were booked for protesting against the devious act, you would be happy to note that the Cabinet has approved of withdrawing the charges filed against them. The Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has directed the Home Department to start the procedure for the same. The decision should also resolve the fears expressed in the Change.org petition initiated by Taoveda Dimensions NGO, and backed by over thousands of citizens, seeking a halt to the cutting of several hundred trees in the Aarey forest area. It is the sustained campaign of people around the world, championing the cause of the environment in Mumbai that brought the issue into focus and enabled the MVA state government to take decisive steps. This state government is committed to sustainable development and to conserving the unique flora and fauna in the metropolis in their natural habitat. This decision of the Maharashtra government to preserve 808 acres near SGNP as a reserve forest will make it the first of its kind initiative anywhere in the world, in which a vast forest will be grown in the heart of a metropolis. The state government will not rest with just conserving Mumbai’s urban flora. Directives have been given to ensure that while deciding on the reserved forest area, the rights of the tribal community, as well as others concerned, should be held sacrosanct. This decision will protect Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the forest resources in Aarey and meet the long standing demand of concerned citizens. The state government is committed to work together with citizens to ensure sustainable development, and build a Maharashtra that our future generations deserve.”
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Petition created on 14 September 2019