We all are well known about the affection of people towards their environment in the past and even they devoted their lives to save the trees. One such movement which is popularly known as ‘Chipko Movement'(1972), it was a mass people’s movement aimed to conserve forests. The environmental movement has grown up independently on the slopes of mountains of the Himalayas. The term CHIPKO means to embrace or hug. Hence, it is also referred to as a tree-hugging movement.
But this time also nature enthusiastic people had shown their great affection and loyalty towards nature and environment. It is the case of Sarojini Nagar and Nauroji Nagar where additional 16,500 trees were to cut for construction of flats for Central government employees. When the locals and activists get known about it, they decided to initiate a Chipko movement in Delhi’ and they hug the trees at 4.30 p.m. on Sunday in Sarojini Nagar to express their protest and loyalty towards the environment.
Vikrant Tongad who is an Environment and RTI said:- “Delhi is already so much polluted and on this cutting 16,500 trees that too in the area with best of Delhi’s green cover to construct a colony and market area is a very dangerous decision. That’s why we had decided to protest by hugging the trees there,” Indicating towards how key ministers have reiterated that environment and development can go hand in hand only, he added that there are various alternatives to chopping trees and construction at the same location.
An Activist Chhavi Methi also said: “We will rally outside the Sarojini Nagar police station on Sunday at about 4.30 p.m. and hug the trees as an act of protest.”
Meanwhile, The Delhi Forest Department has
already cleared this project, and an official told IANS, while a senior Union Environment
Ministry official said that the Central government
has nothing to do with these trees chopping as
the permission to do such types of activities falls under the Delhi
government.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, through a tweet, said and assured that the Union Environment Ministry has given the permission to cut the trees. The AAP has also extended their support to the protests which were scheduled on Sunday. Officials of Delhi Forest Department could not be reached despite several attempts. The officials of the NBCC, who comes under the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, anyhow clarified that there will be a large plantation to
compensate for the cut trees.
“Yes, trees are planned to be cut off but NBCC
has also planned to do ten times more plantation in the region. Our CMD,Anup Kumar Mittal, will talk about it on Monday,” A NBCC spokesperson Sameer Bhattacharya told IANS.
Whenever it is the matter of playing with environment people always handles and this time also they have shown their respect towards unique nature which was going to be ruined. However, govt. will also take beneficial steps as India is a full- fledged Union Ministry of Environment and Forest,since 1985. The Central Board Of Pollution Control and forest departments have been established under the provisions of the law,to enforce the laws related to environmental protection and conservation.
