800 acres of urban forest declared as protected area in Mumbai
Aarey Milk Colony is an urban forest in Mumbai that is located in the eco-sensitive zone of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The urban forest serves as a buffer between the national park and Mumbai. When 190 acres of the urban forest were slated to be developed for a metro car shed, city-wide protests erupted as citizens advocated for the protection of the last few areas of natural forest cover in the city. On October 11th, 2020, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri. Uddhav Thackeray declared that 800 acres of land in the Aarey Milk Colony would become a forest reserve and relocated the metro car shed to a different part of the city. This seminal decision showcases the city and government’s commitment to protect Mumbai’s urban forest and to restore the city’s green spaces.
