A lush greenery lies quietly in the lap of the never-sleeping Mumbai, in particular, the Aarey Colony. The area, which was once the heart of ghost stories for midnight office returners who travelled to Andheri/Goregaon/Malad, is now being robbed of its glistening green forest for building a Metro car shed. The protest against this project started in August after the Tree Authority sanctioned the cutting down of 2646 trees for the same. However, environmentalists and citizens of Mumbai joined hands in filing a petition in the Bombay High Court. The petition was dismissed and the decision was made in favor of the Government, leading to the start of the tree-felling process since Friday night.
A Tale of a Tree
The rise in global warming has set all alarms at buzz, with intellectuals discussing and debating on how to slow down or even stop the rapid rise of carbon footprints and greenhouse gases, which are causing rapid change in the atmosphere, leading to abnormalities in weather patterns. While the hasty industrialisation is to be partly blamed, as the race to become the supreme power between the countries never ceases, another factor that has led to the suffering of humans and animals alike is DEFORESTATION. Here starts the story of how a rotten seed sown killed the healthy trees too.
A Seed was Sown
The master of the mansion was presented with a beautiful seed. The seller promised great fruits to ripen and flourish from this seed, to add colours to the already charming and vivid garden. The master didn't hesitate to accept this seed. With eyes filled with hope, he took it to the garden, unsure if there was a future where he would witness the seed bear fruit.
MMRC (Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation) first presented the idea of Metro Line 3 in 2011. The plan underwent further changes as new stations were added from the original, covering a total of 33.5 km between Colaba to SEEPZ. The estimated cost to build the whole project, including the 27 stations and the elevated and underground stations covering a total of 146 km of track, was Rs. 21,000 Cr.
The Central Government gave approval for the said plan in February 2012. Soon, the Union and the State passed the plan in June 2013 and February 2014, respectively. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan laid the foundation stone in August 2014. In 2015, a metro depot was recommended to be built on 30 hectares of land in Aarey Colony for the metro cars to rest during non-working hours and for carrying out repair and maintenance work. It is expected to house 55 trains and 8 coaches.
Providing Proper Soil and Nourishment
A seed cannot grow if it is sown in infertile land due to a lack of nourishment. A seed that falls on the rock will either be eaten away by birds or will dry away in the heat of the sun. A seed that is sown on the road will get trodden on. The master must carefully choose the soil that suits the seed and provide it with a timely supply of water and fertiliser.
Line 3 was previously planned to be funded through Public-Private Partnership (PPP). However, the idea was scrapped by Urban Development Ministry in August 2012. Instead, it proposed an 80:20 funding by the State and Central Governments. A special JV was formed between the two governments for the implementation of the project.
For the project to be implemented, a belt constituting both residents and plantation needs to be either cleared or relocated. Almost 2,800 families were relocated to Kurla and Chakala. While residents of building that were in danger of collapsing during the underground work were provided accommodation in South Mumbai with MMRC bearing all the expenses relating to their re-accommodation.
When a sapling sprouts, it has to undergo unavoidable changes in both its own form and the surroundings. The sapling with a frail trunk and few leaves must support its roots to grow further deep into the soil till it finds groundwater source. For this, the sapling has to withstand scorching summers, harsh winters and heavy rains. Only if it goes through the trials of seasons and succeeds to survive will it be able to follow its dream to one day flourish and bear fruit.
The construction of Line 3 faced multiple hindrances, with activists taking to court for preservation of the plants and forest life. The estimated plant life to be affected by this project is around 5,012, of which some will be cut down, while a majority will be replanted in other parts of this city. The agreement states that for one tree that's been cut down, three trees should be planted by the contract holder. However, 2 PILs were filed in the Bombay High Court to stop the cutting down of the trees as proper approvals were not received for the construction of the stations located in certain areas in February 2017. HC ruled in the contractor's favour, and the ruling was challenged in the Supreme Court. SC granted a temporary stay till May 2018.
Also, the selection of Aarey colony for the metro depot raised much opposition as almost 2,700 trees are to be cut down. The wildlife preserved by these trees may include leopards and other endangered flora and fauna. An open plot in Kanjurmarg was among the alternatives recommended. However, the idea was scrapped as a small portion of this plot was under dispute. There are also allegations that the rush to build a car shed in Aarey colony is also to invite further developmental projects, including residential buildings that will be forged by encroaching into forest lands.
A Seed Bearing Poison Fruit
It only takes one wrong decision to turn a beautiful and bountiful garden into a dead forest. A seed of the poison tree spreads its roots to the water source in the ground and spews its poison. The groundwater source that had kept the other plants nourished and healthy was now going to be the cause of their ruin, brought down by false promises blinding the garden master's decision. As the tree grew and flourished with fruits as dark as the heart of a morbid soul, its poison was choking the smiles of its fellow flowers and slowly clipping the clapping hands of the trees that had stood tall and proud against nature's tantrums.
In the petition hearing in September 2019, the state government said to the court that Aarey cannot be declared a forest just because of the greenery, instead Line 3 project is very much needed for curbing traffic and reducing travel time. On 04th October 2019, HC declared that Aarey was not a forest. Hence, the MMRCL authorities started to axe trees from Friday night.
A crowd of over 300 protesters immediately gathered, and many were arrested for hindrance. Section 144 with criminal charges was quickly implemented in order to control the growing number of protesters at daybreak. Many voiced their concerns and tried to reason with the police, who had laid barricades to stop anyone who was not a resident of Aarey from passing through. Protesters became witnesses to the gruesome murders of those age-old trees as each cut of the axe swiftly took away the breath of these shading trees. Over 2,100 trees have already been cut down since the approval.
However, the garden fairies that colored the leaves with the changing of seasons and blossomed the flower buds came to rescue the garden from being swallowed by darkness and depravity. In a world where any sign of kindness and sincerity is met with hatred and malice, the few who are crowned with strong will and grace to face the sword are still crossing blades with those who are 100 times more powerful.
To those who stood disheartened, Monday morning brought with it a news that came as a breath of fresh air. SC issued a stay order on felling of trees till October 21st after a special bench was formed for the hearing of a Suo Motu PIL filed by a group of Law students led by Rishav Ranjan. The letter highlighted various issues that Aarey colony and Mumbai as a city will have to face. Other than chopping down the green lungs, the letter also mentioned that the project will affect Mitthi river, which could lead to flooding of Mumbai city and also pollute the river. In order to show good faith, SC also ordered to release of the protesters on submission of personal bonds. Government authorities have agreed to stop felling trees as ordered by the court and have released the detained protesters.
As the fairies fought the foot soldiers of darkness, who were pinned by curse to follow their master's orders, many were taken to captivity. For the power of the soldiers was far greater, and the hearts of the fairies were kind and their wings tender. Yet they fought, holding their ground, trusting in their allies to back them. This faith led to a magic spell that pushed back the enemies to the boundary and brought back the fairies taken captive. The fairies rejoiced as they welcomed back their fellow brethren. However, they were well aware that this spell would expire in its due time, and the battle of the good and the bad would continue as the day and night chase after each other unceasingly.
To many, this small victory brings great joy; however, the war is far from ending. With Government officials standing sternly on building the car shed in Aarey Colony, the alternative options have been shrinking from a few to none due to varying legal and technical reasons. The next hearing is to be held on 21st October 2019 after the special bench has gone through the details of the PIL.
This is all the fact and fiction you need to be aware of with regard to the continued protests by the environmentalists and residents of Mumbai. While it is not a fairy tale, yet people are joining hands and standing their ground at Aarey with the hope that they will be able to find a happy ending to this saga. I would urge you, the reader, to think of this 'Does Government have enough Oxygen tanks for all our children and grandchildren?' Because we do not want development at the cost of the health of our and our future generations.
#StopCuttingTrees #SaveOurGreenLungs
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