City-based environmentalist Stalin D has written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray requesting the Maharashtra State Forest Department and Thane Forest Circle to monitor Aarey Milk Colony against encroachers during the lockdown.
This comes after reports on the depleting green cover in Aarey as trees are being chopped down illegally to build hutments.
<img title="Chopping down of trees illegally has been rampant in Aarey since the lockdown" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/may/Chopping-down-a.jpg" alt="Chopping down of trees illegally has been rampant in Aarey since the lockdown" />
Speaking to mid-day, Stalin said the deforestation of Aarey continues unabated without the fear of law. "This is to highlight the ongoing destruction of the forests of Aarey Colony. You are well aware of the facts of the matter pertaining to the ecological importance of Aarey and it has been six long years since citizens and NGOs started fighting to protect this forest. Matters are pending in various courts pertaining to this issue, but there is nothing that stops the government from taking a positive stand to protect Aarey. There is a Supreme Court order which directs that no trees should be cut in Aarey, but this order is being violated on a daily basis," his letter states.
The activist has also alleged that taking advantage of the lockdown, antisocial elements and the slum mafia have seized the opportunity to plunder Aarey.
"We are losing at least 30 trees on a daily basis inside Aarey. Slum-dwellers are expanding encroachments, building illegal temples, clearing the vegetation regularly ever since the lockdown was imposed. We have time and again raised the alarm and intimated the facts to the authorities concerned. But, the Aarey police have not acted on any of the complaints and have instead chosen to beat up citizens who sent them proof of tree chopping and expanding encroachments in the area. The green cover in areas such as the VIP guest house area, the New Zealand hostel forest area, Unit number 13 is steadily depleting. Though the Aarey CEO had got some of the encroachments removed, more spring up in their place," the email states.
He has appealed to the government to issue directions to the Forest Department telling them to monitor the area until the current COVID-19 situation improves.
30 No. of trees cut down illegally in Aarey on a daily basis
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