Residents of Napean Sea Road will participate in the Green Ribbon campaign to protest the axing of trees in the area's green cover.
Residents of Napean Sea Road will participate in the Green Ribbon campaign to protest the axing of trees in the area's green cover. The protest, organised by environmentalist Bittu Sahgal, starts from Priyadarshini Park at 5 pm today.
According to Sehgal, the peaceful protest takes its cue from the hugely successful Chipko Movement of the 1970s.
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As part of the drive, hundreds of residents, comprising kids, youths and senior citizens, will tie green ribbons on the trees urging the BMC to stopu00a0cutting trees as part of their road widening project.
"We invite all the residents of Napean Sea Road, Malabar Hill and people who care for Mumbai to join us in this drive to preserve the old, leafy trees that line the road from Warden Road all the way to Priyadarshini Park," said Sahgal.
According to Sehgal, the residents do not oppose the road widening project, but the plan to cutu00a0around 70 trees in the process is not acceptable. The axing of trees for the project began last week.
"The BMC shouldu00a0make footpaths on both sides of Napean Sea Road with benches and drinking water fountains. With the trees around, the footpath would look like a beautiful shaded walkway benefiting both, the nature and citizens."
Chipko movement
The Chipko Movement was spearheaded by famed Gandhian and environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna in Chamoli district the Kumaon Hills of then Uttar Pradesh in 1973.
Actively participated by villagers, both men and women, the movement quickly spread throughout the Uttaranchal Himalayas by the end of the decade.
In Tehri district, Chipko activists would go on to protest limestone mining in the Dehra Dun hills in the 1980s as well as the Tehri dam, before founding the Beej Bachao Andolan or Save the Seeds movement that continues to the present day.
One of Chipko's most salient features was the mass participation of female villagers. As the backbone of Uttaranchal's agrarian economy, women were most directly affected by environmental degradation and deforestation, and thus connected the issues most easily.
Sunderlal Bahuguna was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, on January 26, 2009.
Bittu Sahgal
He is a Mumbai-based Indian environmentalist and the editor of Sanctuary magazine.u00a0He hasu00a0produced over 30 conservation-related documentaries, which have been aired on the national broadcaster Doordarshan.
He is involved with Project Tiger and otheru00a0national campaigns to save the tiger. He is also active with campaigns to protect coastal areas, traditional fishing communities, and prevent toxic materials from affecting the environment.u00a0
Saehgal isu00a0also part of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
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