Campaign To Save Aarey Forest Gets More Support, Supriya Sule, Aditya Thackeray Join In

The ongoing campaign by environmentalists and citizens of Mumbai to save the trees in Aarey Forest in the city is gaining support from various corners. The latest to extend her support to the protest is Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule.

On Sunday Sule joined in with the locals at Aarey Colony who are protesting against Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Tree Authority's decision to slash 2,700 trees in the locality.

Interacted with the Members of Press at Aarey Colony along with Smt. Vidya Chavan (@Vidyaspeaks) - MLC. pic.twitter.com/X731wXsGBL

¡ª Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) September 8, 2019

"I care about the Aarey Colony. Environmentalists are opposing the cutting down of trees in the area. Global warming has become a big challenge for us. In some places there are floods and in some there is drought," Sule said.

She said that NCP holds that development should happen but not at the cost of cutting down trees. She further held that NCP has always voted against the cutting down of trees in the municipal corporation.

Sule said that she will meet the Chief Minister and ask him to listen to the protesters.

"As a Mumbaikar, I would want to meet the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis on September 12. There are many people who are opposing the cutting of trees and the Chief Minister should hear them out," she said.

Requesting @CMOMaharashtra to think of alternatives rather than cutting the trees in the name of development #AareyColony. (2/2)

¡ª Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) September 8, 2019

Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray had expressed concern over the decision to cut 2700 trees for the construction.

Taking to Twitter, Thackeray said,

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)

¡ª Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 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.

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)

¡ª 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)

¡ª Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 29, 2019

It is not just politicians, Actress Dia Mirza, who has been vocal about environmental issues in the past too had come out in support to save the last patch of greenery in Mumbai.

Thank you Aaditya for speaking up for #AareyForest. All the citizens of #Mumbai hope and plead with our @CMOMaharashtra to ensure this biodiverse area is protected and the metro car shed is built at an alternative location easily available to the gov. @ConserveAarey https://t.co/jGfWfr7d8P

¡ª Dia Mirza (@deespeak) August 29, 2019

According to campaigners, Aarey is the world¡¯s only forest in the middle of a modern metropolis and is home to not just a huge diversity of rare insects, reptiles and mammals including wild leopards, but also more than 7000 indigenous tribal people who have been living here in 27 aboriginal Warli tribal hamlets here for centuries, in harmony with nature, protecting this forest.