Complaint to Centre alleges unregulated digging may harm tree roots; seeks probe into clearances; On November 14, activist Godfrey Pimenta emailed the government alleging that the excavation work poses a serious risk to trees in the Aarey ESZ
The ongoing work inside Aarey Milk Colony. Pic/By Special Arrangement
An environmental alarm has been raised over ongoing underground cable-laying work inside Mumbai’s Aarey Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), with activists warning that unregulated digging could severely damage the area’s tree cover.
On November 14, activist Godfrey Pimenta of the Watchdog Foundation emailed the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the Maharashtra Principal Secretary (Environment), alleging that the excavation work poses a serious risk to trees in the Aarey ESZ. Pimenta’s complaint states that the issue requires urgent intervention from the MoEF&CC.
“Over the past two weeks, we have observed underground cable work being carried out along a stretch from the Goregaon-Aarey entry point up to the MMRCL car shed, near the picnic spot. The digging is happening away from the main Aarey road, among mature trees,” he said.
He alleged that such excavation could damage deep-rooted trees, compromising their health and stability. “Disturbance to root systems can weaken trees, cause long-term decline, or make them vulnerable to collapse,” Pimenta added. He pointed out that Aarey, located adjacent to the eco-sensitive zone around Sanjay Gandhi National Park, requires heightened protection.
“Any infrastructure work in or near an ESZ must be regulated and backed by proper environmental clearances. We have not seen any public notice, environmental impact assessment (EIA), or approval documents for this cable-laying work,” he said, questioning whether the project had the necessary permissions. Pimenta further noted that root damage is often delayed in its impact and may result in disease, instability, or eventual tree mortality. He said such disruption could affect Aarey’s crucial role as a green lung for the city and may also impact soil ecology and groundwater percolation.
The activist has appealed to the ministry to investigate the ongoing work, verify whether ESZ-specific environmental clearances were obtained, and conduct a site inspection by environmental officers or botanists to assess potential harm to the trees and overall ecological health.
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