Residents of Chembur are currently planning to conduct a peaceful Chipko protest after learning of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) intentions to cut more than 150 trees for the Metro 2B project (DN Nagar-Mandale) at Mankhurd. Upon not finding a suitable avenue to voice their concerns, the locals have started pasting notices on the trees.
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“Chembur, which is a highly polluted area, is already a deficit in green cover. We request the BMC to stay the cutting/transplantation pending consultations with us and other stakeholders," said Hemant Petare, General Secretary of the Chembur Citizens' Forum.
“Inspired by the Chipko movement of Rajasthan's Bishnoi tribals, who had sacrificed their lives 300 years ago while hugging their trees to save them from being chopped by the king’s soldiers near Jodhpur, we too will resort to a similar agitation if the authorities are bent on cutting the trees,” the founding member of the forum and former corporator S Balakrishnan said.
Also read - BMC May Cut Up To 199 Trees Around Mahalaxmi Station For Rail-Over-Bridges
Locals say that many of the trees only have to be trimmed and not completely removed for the Metro project which includes elevated stations and ducts situated near V N Purav Road, Diamond Garden, Shivaji Chowk, BSNL Metro, and Mandale.
Speaking to TOI, the civic gardens superintendent, J Pardeshi said, “I cannot immediately tell you how many trees are to be cut and transplanted in Mumbai city for the Metro project.” Meanwhile, environmentalist B N Kumar from NatConnect Foundation recommended the locals to reach out to the Maharashtra Environment Minister, Aaditya Thackeray.
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