Jairam Ramesh calls for saving Mumbai's green lung Aarey

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh

Former Union environment minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday extended his support to citizens opposing axing of a large number of trees in a sprawling green belt here for a metro car shed project.

The Rajya Sabha member urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mumbai Metro and civic authorities to find alternate solutions for the metro car shed and preserve Aarey Colony in suburban Goregaon, which is known as a major green lung of the metropolis. In a tweet from his account, Ramesh said, "I am in full solidarity with Mumbaikars who are protesting to #SaveAareyForest in the vicinity of which I grew up."

"I urge the @MumbaiMetro3 @bmcmumbai and @Dev_Fadnavis to find alternate solutions for the metro car shed and preserve Mumbai's lungs," he said further. Ramesh also used the hashtag #SaveAareySaveMumbai, coined by Mumbai-based conservationists who are opposing the tree axing decision.

Last week, the Tree Authority of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gave its nod to cut over 2,700 trees to set up the proposed car shed in Aarey Colony for the Metro 3 project. The move has triggered a protest with people from different walks of life asking the state government to reverse the tree hacking decision.

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