1. Mumbai Mirror marks its tenth anniversary by celebrating this city’s heroes. The men,
women and institutions featured here have made it to our honour roll for their exemplary
acts of courage, as well as those simple yet profound expressions of humanity that have
changed this city for the better. These pages will tell their stories, and announce those
shortlisted for special recognition, as determined by our jury and readers.
The greener revolution
ByusingprotestsandPILstoprotectAareyColony,agroupofvolunteersisnowinspiringthecity
To plant 10,000 new trees, the Save Aarey group launched their ‘Gift A Tree’ programme in July
GETS MY
VOTE
Pressure
groups like
Save Aarey do
important work.
Without them,
Mumbai would
lose its last real
green patch
—Isaac Kehimkar,
Naturalist, Bombay
Natural History
Society
T
he Save Aarey initiative
has become synonymous
with Mumbai’s fight for
greener spaces. Wildlife
photographer Manish
Gadia, one of the founding mem-
bers of the group, remembers
meeting the late Vinay Athalye, a
former businessman, who had
dedicated his life to saving Aarey.
“I used to come here for jogging,
cycling and photography. But I
met Vinay Athalye somewhere
around 2012. Athalye created the
Panchvati garden and started the
protest to save Aarey. Back then,
land was allotted for the Force
One facility. He was so determined
and so focused on the fight that I
got inspired by him and joined
the cause. Now, so many new
faces have joined this initiative
but we certainly miss Athalye,”
says Gadia.
The aim of the initiative, as its
website explains, is not to chal-
lenge the idea of development but
unplanned development, which
benefits only a few with ‘vested
interests’. The group’s 15 active
and 35 voluntary members envi-
sion the colony as a ‘world-class
recreational area’, complete with
‘hiking and bike trails, picnic
areas, nature trails, botanical gar-
dens, museums and cafés’.
By 2014, the Save Aarey move-
ment gained visibility along with
the massive public support that it
garnered. Environmentalist and
research fellow with Observer
Research Foundation, Rishi
Aggarwal, who joined the move-
ment last year, says, “I met the
MMRDA commissioner and BMC
commissioner to discuss the pro-
posed metro car shed in Aarey. I
tried to warn them about why
they should rethink the location.
But the authorities neglected my
suggestions, claiming that they
have no other options. The Save
Aarey movement has changed
authorities’ attitude towards
Aarey and now, they are rethink-
ing the proposal,” says Aggarwal,
calling the move ‘the first suc-
cessful step’.
On February 2014, the group
launched its first protest at
MCGM headquarters where a
proposal to cut 2298 trees for the
construction of a metro car shed
was tabled. The protest was
organised to precede the tree
authority’s meeting on February
8. “We protested with placards,
banners and appealed to the
members of the committee to not
agree with the proposal. Finally,
permission was not given to cut
the trees,” says Aggarwal.
Interestingly, the Save Aarey colo-
ny movement inspired the resi-
dents of Colaba to fight for the
residential park Colaba woods,
which was in the danger of losing
space to the construction and
development of a new station for
the proposed Metro III.
However, Aggarwal agrees that
the Save Aarey team is yet to taste
complete success, as the state
government is yet to take a final
decision about the issue. “Shiv
Sena, MNS, Sanay Nirupam and
many NGOs have joined hands
with the Save Aarey movement,”
says Aggarwal.
Aarey has faced multiple
threats over the years. One of
them came in the form of a plan
to widen the Goregaon-Mulund
link road, for which more than
400 trees had to be cut. However,
supporters of the movement and
other authorities elevated the
road so that no tree had to get
chopped to make way for the
road. Yet another plan was float-
ed by the MCGM to develop
many activities at the colony via
proposed development plan, on
grounds that Aarey is the only
remaining option for such activi-
ties. The group, however, thwart-
ed the plan by mobilising citizens
and NGOs to file their objections
to the proposal.
There are other victories too.
Stalin Dayanand, who runs the
independent NGO Vanshakti and
is an active member of Save Aarey
group says, “When we filed a PIL
at the Bombay High Court
requesting that Aarey be declared
an eco-sensitive zone, the HC
ordered a stay on all constructions
at the colony. Our next fight is to
protect the environment.”
Alka.Dhupkar@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @alka_MIRROR
INITIATIVESave Aarey initiative
FACES BEHIND IT
Save Aarey Community
NOMINATED FOR
Saving Aarey Colony
from the hazards
of unplanned
development
SATISHMALAVADE
When we filed a
PIL requesting that
Aarey be declared an
eco-sensitive zone,
the HC ordered a stay
on all constructions
— Stalin Dayanand
MumbaiMirror | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 8
KNOW A
HERO?
Log on to www.
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heroes and nominate a
hero you know who is
changing the face
of the city