Human chain demands inclusion of green issues in manifestos

Hundreds of volunteers from 27 groups gather under the banner of ‘United for Change Collective’ at Marine Drive

One with nature: Green warriors form a human chain on Marine Drive on Saturday to demand that political parties look into issues affecting the environment.

Various environment, human rights and citizens’ groups on Saturday asked political parties to include environmental concerns in their election manifestos, or face consequences in the general elections.

Members of the collective said that they had asked political parties to include environmental concerns in their manifestos and that they want political parties to contemplate on their demands. “Political parties have kept environmental concerns out of their agenda. Given the urgency with which we need to deal with the degradation and toxification of our environment, this is completely unacceptable,” said Abhishek Bhat of the Save Aarey Group.

Stating that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region is on the brink of an ecological collapse, hundreds of volunteers from 27 groups came together under the banner of ‘United for Change Collective’ to form a human chain at Marine Drive which started at Pizza By The Bay junction and ended at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Nariman Point.

Political parties are in the process of releasing their manifestos. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Left parties released their election manifestos earlier this week.

‘Guidelines violated’

Amrita Bhattacharjee, a member of the Aarey Conservation Group, said, “From Uran to Palghar, wetlands, mangroves, forests and water reservoirs are being illegally reclaimed and poisoned in complete violation of the Supreme Court’s guidelines. We are living under appallingly polluted conditions and the natural beauty of this area has been almost destroyed. Besides, a false narrative of development is being used to justify illegal land grabs and subsisting nexus of politicians and builders.”