BMC Says 623 Subabul Trees In Aarey Colony Need To Be Cut Because They're Harmful For The Environment
Also known as ¡®Green Lungs of Mumbai¡¯, the Aarey Colony is in danger of being felled. Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Mumbai to campaign to ¡®Save Aarey¡¯. Earlier, MMRDA wanted to cut the trees to build Metro line 6.
However, after overwhelming protest by the public and NGOs, MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) announced that it will seek land in Wadala for the same.
You Can Develop A Whole City Within A Year..But You Cannot Bring Back A Whole #AareyForest In A Year,When Oxygen Will Be Needed More Than A City's Development. So Save Green Lungs Of Mumbai To Save Your Lungs. #SaveAarey @deespeak @TandonRaveena @RandeepHooda @aliaa08 @Riteishd pic.twitter.com/PqCkLeQm4U
¡ª Ketan Nardhani (@ketan83) September 9, 2019
Now, the tree authority of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) granted the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) permission to chop down 623 Subabul trees at the Aarey colony, according to the Times Of India.
BMC has also said that its Tree Authority had conducted several meetings, site visits and also taken recommendations by experts into consideration. After which they have reached a conclusion that Subabul trees are exotic trees which are harmful to the environment and that is why are selected for being felled and transplanted.
We did some digging and found a quote by Dr Nilesh Baxi, a member of the Tree Authority, who explained the hazards of this fast-growing evergreen shrub. "The BMC needs to understand that this plant is of no use and is instead killing the environment. This plant has the capacity to kill other plants that grows adjacent to it. The population of this tree is growing day by day and it is high time that the BMC stopped the re-plantation of this species," he said.
The BMC also stated that after much consideration, 55 trees were spared from being cut.
While BMC has seemingly not clarified the reason for these trees being cut, the pertinent question is whether they intent to replace them with new trees. Even if there is rationale for chopping off the Subabul trees, we really cannot afford to leave the forest land bare.
