Mumbai: Bollywood actor Shraddha Kapoor on Sunday joined the protest against the proposed felling of over 2,700 trees in Aarey forest to build a Metro carshed, terming the decision of the civic body’s Tree Authority “ridiculous”.
Several others took to Twitter asking the government to reconsider and reverse it. The BMC’s Tree Authority on Thursday okayed axing over 2,700 trees for a Metro carshed in the Aarey Colony adjoining suburban Goregaon, which is known as the major green lung of the city.
As part of the protest, a human chain was formed by people on Sunday morning at Aarey forest. Shraddha said she joined the protest to register her complaint over the “shocking” permission, which was granted and hoped it would be reversed.
She is not the only B-Town celeb to have voiced concern over the decision. Tagging CM Devendra Fadnavis, Dia Mirza took to Twitter and wrote, “Not against the Metro. Please build it. But not at the cost of disrupting an ecological system that provides invaluable human services. Alternatives for the carshed exist.”
“It may take more time. But choose better! Stop massacre of Aarey Forest,” Dia added. Actor Raveena Tandon expressed outrage against the decision, tweeting, “Shocking that we are letting this happen. Why are the citizens voices not being heard?”
Actor Randeep Hooda said cutting down of trees at Aarey was a “really sad news” and tagged PM Narendra Modi, along with Maharashtra CM.
“What can we helpless citizens do... We cry over Amazon fires and watch this destruction in our own backyard rather quietly? What should we do?” he tweeted.
Esha Gupta called the move “ridiculous” and said, “Our environment shouldn’t be about politics, we need to leave something behind for kids, not just flying cars n metros, where a plant will soon be the most expensive thing to own....#SaveAareyForest.”
Rains and bad weather could not stop 1,500+ Mumbaikars from making a 3-km-long human chain to protest the decision. Amrita Bhattacharjee, an Aarey Conservation group member, said, “We are protesting the approval of the axing of the 2,700 trees for the construction Metro carshed at Aarey Colony.
Experts in the Tree Authority were manipulated, and somehow the proposal to fell the trees was approved. We don’t want the carshed in Aarey. The BMC can plan to construct it elsewhere.”
