Mira Bhayandar: The city of Mira-Bhayandar is witnessing a groundswell of public resistance against the proposed felling of over 12,400 trees at Uttan-Dongri to make way for a Metro carshed project initiated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). In a significant display of civic awareness, students, environmental advocates, and differently-abled individuals have launched a city-wide signature campaign to oppose what they term an “ecological disaster in the making.”

Among the most notable efforts was the campaign led by students of the Kalpana Chawla Guide Company from St. Vincent De Paul School near Khau Galli in Bhayandar (West). The students passionately urged citizens to join their movement under the banner “Don’t Cut the Trees.” The initiative was conducted in the presence of the school’s principal, Mamta Moraes, and faculty members who lent their full support.

“Cutting down 12,400 trees is not just about losing greenery,” said Principal Moraes. 

“It means displacing thousands of birds and wildlife species and destroying biodiversity that has taken decades to develop. We are here not just to protest, but to educate,” she added. 

The students also informed the public about the ecological consequences of such large-scale deforestation, highlighting the long-term damage to local flora and fauna, especially endemic species that may face extinction.

Joining this wave of environmental activism, members of the Divyang Aadhar Sanstha – a local organization for the differently-abled – organized a powerful demonstration at Uttan Naka. Holding placards and gathering signatures, they sent a strong message that environmental preservation is a universal concern, transcending physical limitations.

“Nature belongs to all of us,” said a representative from the organization. “When trees are cut, it’s not just the forest that suffers, it’s our collective future.”

Simultaneously, signature drives have been taking place across Mira Road and Bhayandar. Marathi Ekikaran Samiti conducted awareness activities in Mira Road, while local branches of the Congress Party and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) actively engaged citizens in Bhayandar (West). Notably, cultural festivals in Chowk and Pali Gaon on Sunday were also used as platforms for protest, integrating activism into celebration.

With mounting public pressure, the campaign to save the trees has transformed into a city-wide movement—one fueled not just by outrage, but by informed voices demanding sustainable urban development.

As the opposition intensifies, all eyes are now on the authorities to respond to what is quickly becoming one of the region’s most passionate environmental crusades.