Mumbai: Illegal excavation and careless mud dumping carried on the Christian cemetery plot on Aarey Marol roadside is causing serious environmental degradation inside the green lungs of Mumbai-Aarey colony, environmentalist and Director of NGO 'Vanshakti' Stalin Dayanand has alleged.
Stalin has written to authorities including the Mumbai collector, concerned departments of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, CEO Aarey Colony, Forest department and other offices seeking immediate intervention to prevent environmental degradation.
Stalin shared the content of the email complaint with the media along with the photos of the spot inside Aarey colony displaying excavation and mud deposition. He claims that the illegal activity is going on the Christian Cemetery plot on Aarey-Marol roadside.
What Complaint Letter Says
The environmentalist's complaint says, "Large areas have been excavated and the mud is dumped carelessly onto the trees on the site and in the adjoining forested plot. We understand that the plot in question is supposed to be used as a cemetery for the Christian community to bury their dead.. Christian cemeteries do not need concrete graves and the dead are buried directly in the mud."
"We firmly state that the cemetery cannot be made on complete excavation of the site and by killing the trees on the plot. A huge structure has also been built on the site and the entire area is being concretised. This is not a permissible activity and is environmentally destructive," his complaint mentions.
'Ensure Work Abides Ecologically Sensitive Zone Management Plan'
Environmentalist Stalin Dayanand has called upon the authrities to check the said site inside Aarey colony, take action against all illegalities found on and around the site, and ensure that the work is as per the approved plan and also is being done with the mandatory permission of the Ecologically Sensitive Zone Management (ESZ) committee.
"All of Aarey is included in the ESZ of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and orders of the Supreme court prevent any killing of trees inside Aarey. Step in and stop the violation," he has urged the officials.
