Aarey forest, a major green patch in the north-central section of the city of Mumbai, is soon expected to lose a considerable amount of its trees and green cover to make way for a metro car shed, that is causing an indescribable pain to common Mumbaikars from all walks of life.?
TOI
But you might be wondering, why is everyone getting so 'worked up' about the deforestation of Aarey forest??Deforestations are common and keep on happening in various parts of countries and the globe, but why is this being made into such a big deal? Because, it is a very big deal indeed, especially for the well-being of Mumbai, and its people.?
As someone who has lived most of my adult life in the vicinity of Aarey forest, here's why I think saving this patch of green cover in Mumbai is worth the fight.
Scattered around 16 square kilometres, Aarey forest is a part of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is located a few kilometres in the north, ahead of the place where the sheds are going to be manufactured.?
BCCL
These are one of the biggest patches of greenery in the otherwise concrete jungle that is Mumbai City. Looking at the map, you can figure out the impact Aarey has on the entire city, giving fresh air to everyone, amidst the rising pollution levels.
Think of?Aarey as Mumbai's Amazon. And while it is not being burnt to ashes, the result will be quite catastrophic and unfixable after the 2700 trees are chopped down all at once.
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Just have a look at Delhi's Air quality index as of today, everything is in red, not a single green rating.?
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Now compare it with Mumbai's air-quality rating. While it's not the best, it is still pretty healthy -- especially due to the monsoon. Definitely, being in close proximity to the sea also aids in Mumbai's ability to absorb air pollution, but credit should also be given to the green stretch of Aarey and SGNP, especially in areas away from the sea, which plays an important role in keeping Mumbai cool and its air quality down to a breathable level.?
Elimination of trees would directly impact the access to fresh oxygen that the city receives, giving rise to cases of breathing issues, lung-related complaints, asthma, etc, and worse among residents of Mumbai.?
Mumbai is known to possess a humid climate and the past summers have been really hot, but definitely not unbearable. That's thanks to the green belt of Aarey and SGNP.?If you feel how trees impact the temperature of a location, it is due to a phenomenon called 'evapotranspiration'.
Evapotranspiration is the fusion of two simultaneous processes: evaporation and transpiration, both are responsible for releasing moisture into the air. During the evaporation process, water is converted from liquid to vapour from the soil, water bodies, etc.?
BCCL
On the other hand, in transpiration, water that is absorbed by the roots of the trees evaporates from the leaves, thus cooling the surrounding areas. Just to put this into perspective, a relatively large oak tree is capable of transpiring 40,000 gallons of water into the atmosphere in just one year.
The release of vapour in the air is the reason behind a relatively cool micro-climate surrounding the Aarey forest region, which invariably rubs off on the greater Mumbai area. Needless to say, the chopping down of 2700 trees from Aarey forest's critical climate load-balancer will have devastating consequences for Mumbai.
The chopping down of nearly 3000 trees will obviously have a considerable impact on the biodiversity of the 30-acre land that authorities are trying to concretise in the Aarey forest. Reports have also indicated that this area is also at the floodplains of the Mithi River. If you didn't know, ecosystems in a floodplain are biodiversity hotspots, where various species thrive.
Even today, the road that connects Goregaon and Powai (the one that goes through the Aarey Forest) is shut from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM. This is because Aarey has wild animals like leopards, deer etc who rule the jungles in the night.?
With the trees being chopped down, these animals would lose their homes and well, try to find new homes, outside the forest. There have been numerous instances of leopards coming in colonies near Aarey forest and with the trees being chopped off, these instances will only rise. Until there will come a point where all wild animals and exotic flora will be driven out of their natural homes forever, and it will be an irreparable loss for not only Mumbai but for the nation.
BCCL
I've stayed all my life at Jogeshwari -- a place very close to Aarey forest. For us friends, Aarey forest has been a great spot to just take a ride through on a Saturday afternoon. I learned how to drive my car, ride my bike on the secluded roads of Aarey.
I remember going to Aarey garden when I was little, with my family during the weekends, and even today it is a beautiful and peaceful corner of the madness that is Mumbai's city life.?
Since Aarey forest is close to the Western Express Highway, whenever you pass through that patch, that 5-minute ride feels cold and comforting -- as if you were driving through a hill station, right within the city!
And naysayers will argue that sure, they're just chopping off a little bit of Aarey, what's the harm -- we will plant more trees. But this will only be the start, how many trees will you chop and where will you re-plant, if there's no space left in Mumbai?
This is why the fight for Aarey forest matters. Not only to save Mumbai from becoming a total concrete jungle, but losing an indelible limb or organ of Mumbai forever -- preventing it from functioning properly and sustaining us without malice.