Aarey's Chipko Moment

The plan to clear Mumbai's last green cover is facing stiff resistance from citizens and non-profits

- Gajanan Khergamker

OVER 40,000 suggestions and objections were submitted by citizens and activists in mid-October against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) proposal to cut 2,702 trees in the Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon for the Metro-3 car shed project. BMC put out the notice on behalf of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC)—which will construct the shed—on September 26.

Aarey was once a part of the deciduous stretch of forests, now restricted to the adjacent Sanjay Gandhi National Park and hillocks. With the coming of the Aarey Dairy Co-operative, the thickness of the forests was broken up to create open ecosystems of grasslands, scrubs, marshes and water bodies, giving refuge to an interesting assemblage of species. The large open para grass fields are feeding grounds of Munias, Drongos and Egrets, which have been proposed for the car shed. The drains that nurture these grass pastures are home to native fish species, crabs, shrimps and Checkered Keelback water snakes that are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 by virtue of being Schedule II species.