Pleas, prayers, protests go waste

Several old trees felled for Metro III project as citizens resort to hugging them to prevent action

May 25, 2017 01:01 am | Updated 01:01 am IST

Mumbai, 24/05/2017: Mumbai Metro project 3 worker get down after chopping  80 years old tree at proposed Churchgate station site in Nariman Point. Around 3000 trees will face the axe for this project. The 33.5 km, Rs 23,136 cr Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro 3 project  scheduled to complete by year 2020.
Photo: Prashant Nakwe

Mumbai, 24/05/2017: Mumbai Metro project 3 worker get down after chopping 80 years old tree at proposed Churchgate station site in Nariman Point. Around 3000 trees will face the axe for this project. The 33.5 km, Rs 23,136 cr Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro 3 project scheduled to complete by year 2020.
Photo: Prashant Nakwe

Mumbai: The standoff between Churchgate residents and the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (MMRCL) over felling of trees for the Metro III project continued on Wednesday, with residents claiming that a pruning drive had turned into an exercise that saw several trees being axed. Three protesters resorted to direct action: two hugged a 44-year-old Peepul tree earmarked for cutting while the third climbed it.

Around 1 p.m. residents approached the Larsen & Toubro personnel asking them to stop work till they produce all permissions authorising them to fell the trees. After a brief exchange, both parties approached Marine Drive police station.

Ruchir Bansal, a local resident, said, “They don’t have Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) permissions. They have permissions only for five of nine CRZ zones including Vidhan Bhavan, BKC and Dharavi but not for Churchgate, which falls under CRZ II and requires permission from the Planning Authority. A Junior Tree Officer must also be informed in advance of the date and time of the cutting, and must be present when it happens.” Concerned citizens also requested that all tree cutting work be stopped until a High Court committee is constituted to give them a forum for redressal.

Representatives of L&T and MMRCL claimed to be in possession all required permissions, including a Supreme Court order vacating a stay on the cutting of trees. “We have the permissions we need. The permissions they are asking for are not required,” Satish Kumar, an MMRCL official, said.

Rescue act

Events took a dramatic turn when Mani Gopal Krishnan, the Aam Aadmi Party convenor from Ville Parle, placed himself squarely in front of a tree being felled near Kasturi Buildings on J. Tata Road before being escorted away by L&T workers. He was later seen heatedly arguing with an L&T personnel.

Shortly after Mr. Krishnan’s intervention, Aarti Tamore, member, Aarey Conservation Group (ACG), hugged the same tree to prevent it from being felled. “I am not a big nature lover. I am just a regular human being. We want the High Court to constitute an unbiased committee that will take a call on replantation and transplantation of these trees, and to make someone accountable.”

While she conceded that there might be a government order favouring the felling of trees for Metro III, she said, “The question remains: is the government’s decision right? These birds, animals and trees cannot speak. We must protect them. If I can protest as an individual in my capacity, I would like to protest.”

Mr. Kumar said, “The SC has allowed us to cut the trees. It is not an inference. The High Court committee will address concerns regarding transplantation and replantation. At least 4,000 trees will be affected by this project, of which 3,000 will be transplanted 200 km away and 1,000 will be cut. In this area, 21 will be cut and 13 will be transplanted.”

At 5 p.m., Abhay Bavishi, another ACG member and an organic farmer, climbed the tree outside Kasturi Buildings. He stayed perched on its branches for about 20 minutes, before the police escorted him down and detained him at Marine Drive police station.

Mr. Bavishi said, “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promised to minimise tree loss and damage. Then why are these trees being cut? Nothing has been done, which is why I am here. Despite police complaints, these has been no action. The CM made false promises. Development doesn’t happen like this.”

Senior PI Vilas Gangawane, Marine Drive police station, said, “He (Mr. Bavishi) is not being charged. We detained him because he could have been a danger to public safety and himself. He will be free to go in some time.”

Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Bavishi said, “100 trees were cut down in Colaba in the end of January. That is when we filed a case in the HC. The CM gave his word that all concerned parties would come onto a common platform and find an amicable solution, but nothing has been done since. It is such a massive project of around ₹25,000 crore. Can’t you save the trees?

He claimed that transplantation doesn’t work in India. “People love to talk about it and share fancy videos, but we don’t have the technology for these measures. Even when they are transplanted, the trees are planted one foot apart. That’s not enough.”

However, their efforts failed to check the MMRC contractor. By 8.30 p.m, the tree outside Kasturi Buildings, planted in 1973, was uprooted and tossed aside, as were two other trees a few hundred metres away.

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