Are we greening and ungreening Mumbai at the same time?

A mountain of debris at Aarey forest

A city-based environmentalist has alleged that massive dumping of debris is happening in the Aarey forest, next to Mithi river. He stated that almost a thousand truckloads of debris have been dumped at the site, killing trees.

An environmentalist from the NGO Vanashakti wrote to various departments, complaining about the same. The letter highlighted the massive dumping of debris, saying that almost a thousand truckloads of debris have been dumped in the forests, killing the trees.

The environmentalist demanded action against those who have permitted and engaged in the destructive activity. Videos of the alleged destruction were also attached to help the authorities understand the gravity of the situation.

We need a quick investigation, it will not take too much time to check the merits of the claim. The authorities can have people stationed there surreptitiously, to see if debris is being dumped. They have videos but if they wish to double check, they can have their personnel on ground.

The bigger point is to be quick and effective when it comes to a probe. Once everything is verified, there cannot be endless rounds of debate and meandering about what has to be done. The plain and simple way is to first up stop the debris dumping. Then, you need to go to the root of the problem, from where is debris coming into this space? Who is doing the dumping what is the source? Once that is established, you have a better chance of stamping out the chain itself and ensuring there are no repeats. Then, take action on the culprits and see how best to go ahead with a clean up operation and salvage what you can of the situation.

It is ironical that efforts to green Mumbai, reverse climate change, plant more trees and Miyawaki forests are explored, but existing forests are literally choked or wiped out.