Mumbai: Residents hug trees in bid to hold onto recreation ground

Residents of nearby building complexes register their protest against the BMC on the ground on Friday; (right) The recreation ground in Ghatkopar commonly known as LBS Joggers Park

At least 400 people living in three residential complexes in Ghatkopar West on Friday staged a tree-hugging protest on a recreation ground, commonly known as LBS Joggers Park. They were opposing a proposal by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to expand a burial ground and build a hospital on the plot. The civic body had planted 10,500 trees at the spot using the Miyawaki technique in 2020 and residents fear they may now face the axe.

A PIL was filed in the high court and the matter is sub judice. The citizens had approached the BMC and local politicians in the area; however, they feared that the 8,593-square-metre plot would be lost. The development plan department of the BMC published a notice in the last week of December seeking suggestions and objections to its proposal to delete "the existing amenity of recreation ground" on the plot, which bears the CTS no. 50 B. Residents of the address, Kalpataru and Presidential Towers housing complexes near the plot had objected and written a letter to the BMC on January 10.

Pramod Goyal, ethics committee member of the Boulevard Cooperative Housing Society, one of the buildings in the Address complex, said, "Many people reside in the area and this garden is home to many trees. However, apart from losing the green zone to a burial ground, we fear that we will lose the space where we hang out. Hence, many people gathered to stage a protest here. A chipko andolan [tree-hugging protest] was conducted as we care for the environment."

Society members said they were shocked to see the BMC notice in the papers as well as in the garden. "There are around 15,000 residents in total in the three complexes. We were shocked to see the notices and hence we decided to stage a chipko andolan in which many people participated. Many yoga classes are conducted on the ground. Ghatkopar has no big garden. It will be hazardous if the BMC chops down so many trees, which were planted by them in the first place. We are not against the cemetery; we are just opposing the chopping of the tree," said Nupur Sanghavi, a model and actor.

(From left) Ghatkopar residents Pramod Goyal; Dr Anuj Shrivastava; Nupur Sanghavi. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

Dr Anuj Shrivastava, another resident, said, "At least 400 people had gathered in the morning in the garden to hug trees. We had written letters to local politicians and the BMC raising objections to the proposal. We await a response from them."

Parag Shah, an MLA from Ghatkopar East had written a letter to the BMC stating, "It's a mini forest and the residents purchased flats looking at the approval including the Recreation Ground area. Extending the said park into a burial ground would also be contrary to the construction permission." A civic official told mid-day, "We had received a letter from an MLA two months ago after which we issued the notice inviting suggestions and objections from citizens. Depending on the suggestions, the BMC will take a decision soon."