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PIX: Meet the Aarey Warriors

July 10, 2022 16:14 IST

Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com meets the Mumbaikars protesting the decision to relocate the Metro carshed back in the city’s Aarey Colony forest, an ecological disaster.

Mumbaikars took to the streets on Sunday in protest against the Eknath Shinde government's decision to resume the construction of metro car sheds in the Aarey Colony forest, claiming the project was being developed at the expense of the forest area.

The Aarey forest is a 1,800-acre area which is often termed the city's "green lung".

Soon after Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the new Maharashtra chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the deputy chief minister, the state government directed the advocate general that the metro car shed be built in Mumbai's Aarey Colony itself.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thakeray also participated in the protest on Sunday, saying that this was a fight for Mumbai and its forest life.

"Under our government, we had declared 808 acres of land as forests. We fought for forests to protect our tribals. When we were here, no trees were uprooted," he said.

Claiming that metro cars go for maintenance every three-four months and not every night, the government can afford to build sheds in Kanjurmarg, he said.

"If sheds are built in Kanjurmarg, forest life will be preserved, along with tribal life and money," he said.

Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com profiles some of the protestors who were there to fight for their city.

IMAGE: Krupa 41 with her son 11 year old son Dhruv, Illustrator
"Aarey is a deciduous forest, to have a replacement for it is humanly impossible.
“It's nature's gift and you cannot replicate an Aarey or transplant trees from here and to make it into a garden.
“Garden is not as same as a forest. We are here to protest against the metro car shed which can be made in a place like Kanjurmarg." Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

IMAGE: Manisha Dhinde, Geeta Kharpade and Mayuri, all residents of Aarey
"Aarey is not just a forest, there are 27 Adivasi padas where people live and work. We are here to protect them from losing their homes."

IMAGE: Anonymous, 28, PhD student
"We don't have to choose between forest and development, they can both co-exist.
"There are good substitutes for Aarey like Kanjurmarg. I don't know why we aren't seriously considering them."

IMAGE: Aditya Kataukar, 30, Civil Engineer
"I don't care whether they shift the car shed to Kanjurmarg or any other place in Mumbai. I just want the car shed to move out from Aarey."

IMAGE: Pavitra Srivastav, 27, Owns a travel firm
"I want to protect the only surviving jungle in the city. It keeps the pollution levels in control.
"We want the government to hear us that we (citizens) don't want the car shed construction inside the jungle.
"It can be moved to any other place. We are standing here for our jungle."

Hitesh Harisinghani in Mumbai