AAREY ISSUE: CAN DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT CO EXIST?
Aarey Forest situated in East Mumbai and known as ‘Green Lungs’ of Mumbai is part of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park spread over 13000 hectares and has numerous number of trees supports an entire eco system of its own with its rich biodiversity. In this growing contemporary industrial world there is a huge question which needs acknowledgement from every living individual that can development and environment co exist? This question has been currently raised in the issue of Aarey Forest Cutting where the entire country is debating about the same and people and the activist see this move of the government as a heinous crime against the Earth and our future.
The story of Aarey started Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRC) asked Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for permission to cut trees in the Aarey colony, BMC’S Tree Authority granted permission for the same. On 4th October, 2019 Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited started chopping trees in Aarey in order to build a car shed for metro. Hundreds of people in Mumbai have been staging protest to show their disapproval of cutting down of around 2700 trees in the Aarey forests. The Government of Mumbai have tried justifying the moves of the MMRC and have also claimed that its good for the future of people as transportation will be much more easy now. This issue caught the attention of aware citizens and environmentalists who decided to stand together against it and people claimed that government is not taking environment and climatic issue seriously and is not promoting sustainable development.
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) were filed by the environmentalist and people who were residing in Aarey in the Mumbai High Court against the cutting down of trees. The Mumbai High Court gave the verdict that the MMRC has taken permission from the concerned authorities and whatever is happening is for the benefit of people in the long term future and the cutting down of trees won’t stop. MMRC defended its move by saying that cutting and destruction of trees in the Aarey colony was necessary to pave the way for new life and creation. MMRCL began to cut down trees in the area merely hours after the HC order, a move that faced resistance from citizens and environmental activists. After the High Court order was passed, there was agitation amongst the people which led to widespread protest by the social activist and environmentalist. The protest was conducted in a very peaceful manner where people gathered together with placards and showed their disagreement with the court’s order.
The protest was causing hindrance in the work of the authorities in result of which Mumbai Police discharged lathi charge on the people protesting and also arrested 29 activists and put them behind the bars on the allegation of protest and causing hindrance in the work of the corporation. Section 144 of CRPC was imposed in the area which talks about unlawful assembly: where nobody could move out in groups and with arms and if somebody violated this, the individual was put behind the bars. This move of the government and authorities made people more against the government. Aarey Issue wasn’t limited to that particular colony or area, it got attention from every corner of the country where people were protesting and questioning the government move against the environment. People from different backgrounds be it political, film industries, industrialist and many more came together to fight against this.
Petition from law students have been filed against the Supreme Court after the situation was getting worsen and letter was written to the Chief Juctice of India Ranjan Gagoi. A group of law students urged the Supreme Court to determine the fate of Mumbai’s Aarey on Sunday. Taking suo moto cognizance, the apex court directed the government to stop axing trees until October 21.[1] The student requested the Supreme Court “to exercise its epistolary jurisdiction to protect Aarey without getting into technicalities as there was no time for preparation of a proper appeal petition and cover the scars of these young activists who are responsible citizens standing for serious environmental concerns”. The two bench judge of Justice Arun Mishra and Ashok Bhushan who restrained the authorities from cutting anymore trees in Mumbai’s Aarey to set up a metro shed. The apex court directed that if anybody is still under arrest for protesting the cutting of trees, they should be released forthwith on furnishing of personal bonds. During the hearing the Maharashtra Government told the bench that all those arrested for protesting against cutting of trees in Aarey have been released.[2] After Supreme Court’s judgment Section 144 was removed from the area. An environment bench of the Supreme Court will be hearing the case on October 21.
Report By-
Astha Singh
Reporters’
committee
[1] https://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/in-focus/article/cutting-down-of-trees-in-mumbais-aarey-forest-will-do-more-harm-than-we-know/484890
[2] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/aarey-protest-live-updates-top-court-to-hear-case-today-against-cutting-of-trees-2112864