Mumbai (The Hindu): Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday reiterated Shiv Sena’s strong opposition to the Delhi-Mumbai Freight Corridor that threatens large-scale tree-felling at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SNGP), and demanded that the corridor be realigned. Voicing concern over reports that 12,000 trees would be chopped to make way for the corridor, which is part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Mr Thackeray tweeted, “12,000 trees! must be realigned to save national park. If we allow this, we as citizens would have failed our city.”

In a series of tweets on the subject, Mr Thackeray said, “We can’t allow 12,000 trees to be cut in Mumbai and Thane only for a corridor that can be realigned. Development must be sustainable.” He said a fine balance was required between development and conserving environment, and demanded that the freight corridor be restricted from Dadri to Nhava Sheva to save environment and boost trade.

“Destroying Mumbai by decisions like Metro Yard, Freight Corridor etc isn't development. Will stand by Mumbaikars. Corridor must be realigned,” he twitted. Earlier, opposition from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the Shiv Sena had forced the Devendra Fadnavis government to rethink a decision to construct a car shed for Colaba-Seepz Mumbai Metro III project at Aarey Colony, part of the SNGP, considered by many as the only remaining green patch in Mumbai.

Photo credit: The Hindu