Mumbai: The lush Aarey Colony, known as the “green lungs” of Mumbai, faces severe environmental degradation due to illegal excavation and reckless mud dumping activities. Environmentalist Stalin Dayanand, Director of the NGO ‘Vanshakti’, has raised concerns over the damage being caused to this ecologically sensitive zone, specifically pointing to activities on a Christian cemetery plot along Aarey Marol roadside.
The environmentalist has formally written to various authorities, including the Mumbai Collector, relevant departments of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the CEO of Aarey Colony, and the Forest Department, urging immediate intervention to halt the ongoing environmental damage. In his letter, he highlights the unauthorized excavation and indiscriminate dumping of mud onto the site’s trees and the adjacent forested areas. He has shared evidence with the media, including photographs of the impacted site, which depict the extent of the environmental destruction occurring within Aarey Colony.
“The cemetery plot is being misused; large areas have been excavated, and the mud has been dumped carelessly, damaging trees on the plot and in adjoining areas,” he stated in his complaint. “Christian cemeteries traditionally do not require concrete graves; the deceased are buried directly in the earth. The present activities are unnecessary and harmful.” His letter further mentions that an extensive structure has been constructed on the site, and the area is being concretised, which he argues is environmentally destructive and beyond permissible activities. He urges the authorities to inspect the site, halt all illegal activities, and ensure compliance with approved plans and necessary permissions from the Ecologically Sensitive Zone Management (ESZ) committee.
“All of Aarey is included in the ESZ of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Supreme Court orders prohibit any felling of trees within Aarey. Authorities must step in immediately to prevent further violations,” he insisted. The activist’s urgent appeal calls for swift action to preserve one of Mumbai’s last remaining green spaces and protect it from further environmental degradation.
