The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Tree Authority recently approved the cutting of over 2,700 trees in lush Aarey Colony in order to make way for the prestigious Metro-3 car shed. Amidst outrage amongst environmentalists and people, Yuva Sena leader Aditya Thackeray too expressed his disappointment over the entire row.
Son of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Aditya Thackeray has been an icon amongst youngsters who have freely spoken on issues concerning youth and environment. Taking to Twitter, Thackeray said,
We have to ask these court appointed experts why they voted for deforestation over saving Aarey without reasons/ report. And ask these corporators who apparently represent Mumbaikars, why they chose killing Mumbai’s green zone over an alternate site for a car shed. https://t.co/hrhjAE1ghJ
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 30, 2019
Expressing his disappointment over the treatment of Mumbai's green cover, Thackeray stated that only Shiv Sena had refrained from supporting the chopping of trees in Aarey forest for building a car shed for the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation's Metro-3 project.
In the case of Aarey, when we speak of taking up the environment cause, the results of the vote in the tree committee as I hear are as follows: BJP, NCP and the court appointed members voted for deforestation in the proposed area of the car shed. Congress happily walked out (1/n)
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019
Only the Shiv Sena has stuck to our stand of standing for environment when the metro authority has an option to shift the car shed. We voted against the proposal to hack trees in Aarey and fought to find an alternative which is available. (2/n)
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019
The metro is a good thing, I use the existing one and will use the new one too. However whoever planned this green chopping in mumbai, obviously has no love for our future generations or our city. Has misled the CM on its environmental assessment report for Aarey site (3/n)
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019
We all want sustainable development and when there’s an option to save the environment and especially a green area where leopards and other species roam free within a city, the government must save it. It’s not that there’s no option. It’s stubbornness. (4/n)
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019
Or may be, deforestation is correct, even when there’s an option. What use are trees anyway? And ofcourse when the metro needs more money later, we have aarey to commercially exploit, who needs oxygen? Even the court appointed experts feel the same! (5/n)
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019
I still have hope that the CM will do away with the misleading reports on aarey that say there’s no wildlife there, go with the sentiment of Mumbaikars & environment. We are championing the cause of climate change globally and we must save whatever we can, where we have an option
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019
Meanwhile, it is surprising as the Mumbaikars were quite vocal when the Amazon rainforest in Brazil caught fire. While they were concerned about the 'Lungs of World' burning, they seemed to show little or no empathy towards the city's green cover being destroyed.