Mumbai, June 24: The citizen-led campaign to protect the Aarey Colony forest is set to achieve a major milestone this coming Sunday, 28 June 2026, as environmental activists and residents gather for their 200th consecutive weekly demonstration.
The protest, scheduled for 11:00 am at the popular Picnic Spot within Aarey Colony, marks nearly four years of uninterrupted weekly demonstrations since the movement was revived in the summer of 2022.
Origins Of The Movement
The "Save Aarey" initiative originally began around 2010 with grassroots digital mobilisation, including the creation of the movement's dedicated Facebook page.
However, the conflict intensified significantly in November 2014, when citizens held their first formal meeting to protest against the destruction of trees and grasslands earmarked for a Mumbai Metro car shed.
Over the ensuing years, the movement grew into a public campaign drawing in environmental activists, student groups and thousands of ordinary Mumbaikars.
The struggle has not been without friction; on several occasions, state authorities clamped down on demonstrators, leading to arrests and legal charges being framed against peaceful protestors.
Policy Reversal Rekindled Protest
The campaign appeared to have won a definitive victory in 2019 when the incoming Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) administration officially shifted the controversial metro car shed site out of the eco-sensitive Aarey Colony to Kanjurmarg.
However, the relief for environmentalists proved short-lived. Following a change of guard in July 2022, the newly formed Maha Yuti government immediately reversed the decision, quashing the Kanjurmarg plans within hours of taking office and shifting the project back to Aarey.
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The government's sudden reversal forced the revival of the "Save Aarey Forest" campaign, with activists returning to the streets on Sunday, 3 July 2022, to salvage and protect whatever remains of Mumbai's vital green lung.
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