Aarey Is Now Officially A Forest, Thanks To Mumbai Residents Who Fought All Odds To Save It

Monday marked a historic day not just for Mumbai, but for civil society across India fighting to save environment.

Aarey Colony authorities on Monday handed over 286.7 hectares of land to the Maharashtra government, paving the way for the protection of one of Mumbai's main green lungs.

BCCL

A statement from the chief minister's office (CMO) said the Aarey land parcel handed over comprises 125 hectares in Borivali, 71 hectares in Goregaon and 89 hectares in Marol Maroshi.

The handover has been made to the chief conservator of forests, which in turn will pave the way for the creation of a jungle spread over 812 acres right in the middle of the metropolis, an official said.

The Uddhav Thackeray government had declared 800 acres of land in Aarey as reserve forest last year.

BCCL

The handover ends the nearly seven years of battle by the citizens of Mumbai to save the last green patch of the city, where the previous government wanted to build a car shed for the metro project.

Stalin Dayanand, the founder of Vanashakti, the NGO that led the legal battle to save Aarey expressed happiness on the development.

"We are much relieved and happy that ultimately the truth has come out. The previous government had even told the court that there was nothing resembling a forest in Aarey, now that has been turned on its head. 800 acres of undisputed areas of Aarey has now been identified and handed over for protection. It is a huge victory for citizens. To get back even 80sqt from the clutches of the builders is an impossible task, but here citizens rallied and brought back 800 acers for the city. This is a lasting heritage that future generations will appreciate," Dayanand told Indiatimes.

BCCL

The previous government led by Devendra Fadnavis and the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd(MMRCL) had gone to unprecedented length to deny that Aarey was a forest and even had resorted to a midnight cutting of a large number of trees to clear the area.

"I started this fight in 2014. I have been there since day one and that takes a toll on you. This has been the most draining battle in my life. This case stretched my resolve to the limits. This was a rollercoaster of emotions from despair to anger and fightback," Dayanand said.

BCCL

He also credited the youth of Mumbai who joined the fight to save Aarey, which he said was the difference-maker.

"We saw large youth participation in the save Aarey campaign from 2018. Till then I used to complain about where are the youngsters when we are fighting for their future. In 2018 a tsunami of youth leaders joined the movement and turned it around. When the previous government tried to suppress the movement the youth stood firm. They also added visibility to the movement," he said.

Sushant Bali is one of them and has been a part of the Save Aarey campaign for the past couple of years. He went on to become someone who used to take a walk in Aarey during office breaks to fighting to save it.

BCCL

"I used to work in an office near the area and during the breaks, we used to go for walks there. But then I moved to Pune and while I was there I met some people who were part of the campaign. For me, the biggest trigger was when I saw the photos on social media showing the trees being cut in the middle of the night. The next day morning I left for Mumbai, and when I reached Aarey, and it was a disheartening sight. To me the cut trees looked like bodies lying around," Bali said.

Indiatimes

Activists are cautiously optimistic after the handover of Aarey but believe more needs to be done to prevent encroachments and forest fires there.