SSR Obsession Syndrome#30-Celebrating 30 Threads of Obsession! - Page 110

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Though most of us urbanities have not picked mangoes from a tree or bathed in its effervescent shade, if a mango tree indeed sends you a piece of its heart, pleading you to protect it from untimely death, what would you do?

That's the introspective state of mind some mighty people from Mumbai have put biggies like Akhshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Sushant Singh Rajput and the likes in. Three words--Rakhis From Aarey--have been buzzing on Mumbai radio (Big FM) and echoing in Devendra Fadnavis' and the Prime Minister's office alike.

What is Rakhis From Aarey?

It's an initiative being championed by eight people since February 2015. The idea is to seek protection for the Aarey Milk Colony, one of the last green belts of Mumbai city. "It's literally like the last lung of Mumbai. Not many know that just 2 per cent of Mumbai is green now, and Aarey is the biggest contributor to that 2 per cent--spread over 11,600 acres. The BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation), in their Draft Development Plan 2034, had proposed clearing out this colony, leaving us with just 234 acres of the green belt. They wanted to construct a Metro shed here that connected Central Mumbai to West Mumbai. So, we joined hands with an already established group called Save Aarey Group on Facebook, and came up with this rakhi initiative to garner people's attention towards the issue," details Prashant Kalipurayath, co-founder of Rakhi From Aarey.

What's special about Aarey Milk Colony?

Besides being the greenest belt of Mumbai, this colony also acts as the buffer zone between the Sanjay Gandhi National Park-where leopards prowl-and the city.

Why the rakhi?

"Because it's the greatest symbol of protection. No matter how powerful a person you are, if someone sends you a rakhi, you will sit up and take notice. Rakhis to all these big, powerful people are sent from Aarey's trees. Aamir Khan, for instance, received a rakhi from the rosewood tree. This rakhi is made out of the tree's discarded pieces--twigs, stems-and sent with a letter," adds Prashant.

Who all have come together in support?

Sushant Singh Rajput, Akshay Kumar, Shruti Haasan and a few others. Ranbir Kapoor even went on video to express his support. The Rakhis From Aarey team has received acknowledgement from Maharashtra's CM Devendra Fadnavis' office, the Prime Minister's office and Aamir Khan's office, to name a few.

Where has the campaign led?

"About 3 months into the campaign, acknowledgement from the CM's office came through-I guess he saw the support we were garnering from Bollywood--and the development plan stopped. There is, however, a committee that's still scouting for a location to shift the Metro shed to. There has been a lot of back and forth, but we're positive. Beyond this too, Aarey Milk Colony needs protection. Illegal residential construction has cropped up in patches inside the colony over the years, despite it being an area where urban development has not been allowed by the administration, on paper. If people wish to join us in the cause, or just show their support, they can visit www.saveaarey.org," urges Prashant.