Thane : Growing environmental degradation in Shahapur taluka has sparked strong public outrage, with citizens now preparing to take to the streets in a large-scale protest demanding urgent administrative intervention. The Shahapur Environment Protection Forum has announced a massive human chain agitation on May 31, from 8 am to 9 am, in Shahapur marketplace to highlight the worsening ecological crisis in the region.
Through the protest, residents will submit a memorandum to the Thane District Collector, urging authorities to take immediate and concrete measures to protect Shahapur’s natural resources and prevent further environmental damage.
According to office-bearers of the forum, large-scale infrastructure projects including the Mumbai-Agra Highway, Shahapur-Murbad-Patgaon-Khopoli Highway and the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg have resulted in the cutting of thousands of old and fully grown trees across the taluka. Activists alleged that compensatory plantation and long-term maintenance, mandated under environmental norms, have either remained inadequate or poorly implemented.
The forum has demanded a third-party audit of plantation drives undertaken by highway authorities and strict action against agencies found violating environmental regulations. Questions have also been raised over the functioning of the social forestry department, with activists claiming that despite crores of rupees being spent on plantation initiatives, the actual survival rate of trees on the ground remains negligible.
Environmentalists have further demanded that only native and shade-giving tree species be planted along highways and that responsibility for their maintenance be fixed for at least five years to ensure survival.
The organisation has also expressed serious concern over recurring man-made forest fires, which they claim are causing severe damage to biodiversity every year. To address the issue, the forum has urged the forest department to deploy modern firefighting resources and create employment opportunities for local youth as “forest guards” to help monitor vulnerable forest zones.
The drying up of rivers, streams, ponds, wells and other natural water bodies has emerged as another major concern raised by the protesters. Activists warned that if timely measures are not taken, Shahapur could face a severe water crisis in the coming years. They have therefore sought a dedicated fund for the deepening, widening and rejuvenation of rivers and natural drainage channels across the taluka.
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The forum has also appealed for compulsory large-scale plantation drives in schools, colleges, government offices, industrial areas and public spaces to instill environmental awareness among future generations. Along with tree plantation, emphasis has been laid on ensuring proper protection and survival of saplings.
Members of the Shahapur Environment Protection Forum said that symbolic meetings and discussions are no longer enough to tackle the growing environmental challenges in the region. They asserted that the administration must now take firm and effective decisions to safeguard Shahapur’s ecological balance and natural identity before irreversible damage is caused.
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