Aarey Tribal Assembly Submits Community Forest Rights Claims, Flags Omission In BMC Zonal Master Plan

Mumbai: The Aarey Adivasi Hakka Samvardhan Samiti (Aarey Tribal Rights Conservation Committee) organised a Maha Gram Sabha (mega village assembly) on Wednesday at Maroshi Pada in Aarey with the objective to submit claims for Community Forest Rights (CFR) under the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Official Participation

The assembly saw participation from several key government representatives and administrative officials, including Bhagwan Kutale from the Forest Department, Ashish Chavan from the Borivali Tehsil Office, Project Officer A A Chavan, Prakash Rathod from the Project Office, and Baliram Sirsagar from the P-South Ward. In addition, leaders and members representing various tribal organisations from Palghar and Thane were also in attendance.

The committee highlighted a critical grievance during the proceedings, pointing out that the traditional rights of indigenous communities residing across Aarey, Thane, and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) have been entirely overlooked. These omissions were noted specifically within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) current Zonal Master Plan for the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).

Claims Submitted

In response to these gaps, tribal communities hailing from Aarey, Yeoor, Wagle Estate, Dahisar, and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park have formally submitted their Community Forest Rights claims. The move is a collective effort to legally establish and safeguard their ancestral rights over the designated forest areas and the surrounding Eco-Sensitive Zone.

Expressing concerns over future developments, the collective tribal organisations voiced strong opposition to the infrastructure projects proposed by the BMC in the Zonal Master Plan. Representatives warned that executing these projects within the Eco-Sensitive Zone would trigger further environmental degradation and lead to the irreversible destruction of the region's vital forest cover.

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