Braving the blazing sun and sacrificing a leisurely Sunday morning, local residents formed a massive human chain between Plot Numbers 3 and 4 of the proposed ‘London Street’ project on Khamla-Jaitala Road and the Sonegaon Amrai area to protest against the proposed felling of trees in the locality.
The protesters demanded the preservation of over 138 trees slated for removal under the London Street project, along with 61 trees located in the Amrai area. Participants emphasised that they were not opposed to development but were concerned over the large-scale tree cutting taking place across the city.
Citizens said they supported the city’s development but expressed anguish over the rapid loss of green cover.
“These are the lungs of Nagpur which have learnt to survive and mature and bless the city with an oxygen enriched environment, host birds of various species, and provide indiscriminate shade; all without drawing on any resources of the civic body,” they claimed.
Environmental activists questioned the need to cut down a large number of trees in the name of development and stressed that infrastructure projects and environmental conservation can coexist. They urged authorities to adopt scientific alternatives instead of resorting to indiscriminate tree felling.
“They want a sewage pipeline system in the Amrai patch of land and this can be done scientifically without cutting heritage trees,” the environmentalists said.
The activists also highlighted the historical and cultural significance of the Amrai site.
“There is something inherently pure about this Bhosale-era site despite the garbage accumulated around it. This small green patch should be preserved as part of the city’s heritage,” they said.
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