Govt should ensure there’s no need to cut down trees

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Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar directed officials to prepare a plantation plan for around 65 acres of land in Aarey colony during the upcoming Mumbai monsoon season. Reports stated that Shelar instructed Mumbai Suburban District Collector Saurabh Katiyar to prepare a detailed action plan to increase tree cover and improve Aarey forest density.

An official statement said that the state aims to promote environmental balance in Mumbai, which is facing rising temperatures and urban pressure. There was talk about the use of Miyawaki, which is a dense plantation technique.

While it is heartening to see that a plantation plan is being made, we want plans to translate into action, rather than remain only on paper. We have to look at areas where there are no trees at all and concrete rules. It should be those areas that should be in focus, with trees planted there to bring down temperatures and provide succour from the heat.

Development does not mean chopping down mangroves and trees, then these plantations lose meaning. Shelar and his government must concentrate on ensuring transplanted trees survive. They cannot greenlight projects which entail cutting swathes of trees and then identify and tell officials to draw up plans for plantations.

Preserve what we have, increase trees in places where there is a dire need, hold back projects or think of alternatives when it comes to development and ecology, make it easier for individuals/organisations working in the green space to get permissions to plant trees. That is the way to lead the green effort.