Patole stands with residents in fight to protect Bharat Van

Nagpur: Four days after Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s son Sarang visited Bharat Van, Congress Lok Sabha candidate for Nagpur Nana Patole too inspected the lush green mini-forest and promised that “no tree will be cut” if he is elected. A proposed road which involves felling of over 500 trees threatens to destroy one of the few biodiversity remains in the city.
The former Bhandara-Gondia BJP MP decided to start his campaigning from Bharat Van on Monday, to “support the environmental cause”. During his visit, the residents stated that though they were trying their best to save the trees by organizing protests like the Chipko movement, their fight was against heavyweight politician Nitin Gadkari who has termed the road to be part of his dream project.

After walking through the mini-forest, Patole assured the residents that he would help them move the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) bench in Pune, which was constituted for hearing cases related to environment and forests.

Attacking his opponents, the aspiring MP said that BJP leaders were misusing their powers by politicizing environmental issues like Bharat Van, despite stiff opposition from the residents. “You don’t have to worry, as we are with you in your fight for protecting the mini forest. It’s now our responsibility to save these trees,” Patole told the residents, adding that he would be staying in the city even after polls and would always rush to save the trees.

Talking to TOI, Patole said that he was against the current government’s mindless development which is putting city’s environment at stake. “The authorities have already destroyed immense green cover of Nagpur. This issue is not about the road but conservation of environment and I will question MahaMetro after the polling day,” he said.

Patole added that a social audit should be carried out of the massive plantation drives that were held in the state. “Only then we would know the real survival rate of plants,” he said.

Honorary wildlife warden of Nagpur Jaydeep Das also apprised Patole of the suo motu PIL in which the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has granted a stay to the road project. Residents and green activists expressed apprehension that the court might lift the stay during next hearing on April 18.

“MahaMetro is ready with its equipment and the moment stay gets lifted, they would clear the trees for proposed road which is mentioned in the old Development Plan (DP),” they said.

When the aggrieved residents told Patole about their decision to use NOTA on April 11 polling day, he appealed to them not to do so and “use their vote sensibly”.

It’s been over four months since residents and activists have been agitating against the 500-meter long road. Now with ‘Save Bharat Van’ turning into a political issue by catching eyeballs of local candidates, the green brigade believes their votes can play a prominent role.

“The decision of building the road is completely anti-public. When the citizens don’t want it, why are the authorities forcing it upon us? Executing the road only because it is mentioned in a 19-year-old Development Plan is not justified. Authorities need to come up with alternate plans,” they said.

Was laughed at when I raised issue of tiger Jai: Patole

Nana Patole says he was first one to raise the issue of missing iconic tiger Jai which was the star attraction of Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary. “When I took up this issue, it was for the first time, such topic was debated inside the Parliament. That time people laughed at me. They flayed me for not raising important subjects like unemployment and agrarian crisis.” He said he had helped many youths from Umred and adjoining villages get employment and they had started driving gypsies in the sanctuary. “Jai was the main attraction for thousands of tourists visiting the park every year. Now, they’re again jobless after Jai went missing. If there are tigers in the jungles, trees won’t be felled,” he says. Patole censured the BJP governments in Centre and state for doing nothing for developing Nagpur as a major tourist destination, after it was declared as ‘Gateway to Tiger Capital of India’.