Relocation of Metro car shed is a huge news for environment, environmental activists and people who love nature, says Ranjan Panda known as Waterman of Odisha
Arindam Ganguly OP
Bhubaneswar: Giving in to the people’s demand and to save the forest near Aarey Milk Colony, Maharashtra government recently decided to shift the proposed new car shed for Mumbai Metro to a new location.
While nature lovers across the country expressed their happiness over the issue, a few environmentalists back home shared their thoughts with Orissa POST.
Known as the Waterman of Odisha, environmentalist and eco-activist Ranjan Panda said, “This is one of the most positive news we have heard in decades with regard to conservation of the forests. This may look as a small gain to many but in reality this is a huge news for environment, environmental activists and people who love nature.”
Jaya Krushna Panigrahi , an environmental scientist and Secretary of Odisha Environmental Society said that beyond political contentions, designating Aarey Colony forest, considered as ‘green lungs’ of Mumbai and floodplains of Mithi river, as a reserve forest is not only a victory for the environmental activists, it has also set the tone for future environmental activism.
“This is certainly a right step in right direction at a time when the Centre introduced ‘Nagar Van’ scheme to create urban forests in 200 cities of India in five years, to make them livable, and enrich their environmental quality and biodiversity. The felling down of trees was to be stopped at any cost for the benefits of humanity,” added Panigrahi.
Another local environmentalist Shweta Agarwal said this win, a result of sincere protest by thousands, is just the beginning and there is a long to go before restoration of Aarey forest.
She expects the state government to follow the path of Maharashtra and restore the forest near Talabira village where hundreds of trees have been felled for coal mining. “It is high time Odisha government realised that we have to conserve forests to save our lives,” added Agarwal.
