Environmental campaigner Debi Goenka supports ‘Save Bharat Van’

Debi Goenka, Environment expert
Green Win

Goenka has been a key crusader in the movement for saving mangroves. In August 2004, Goenka along with Bombay Environmental Action Group filed a public interest litigation to protect the mangroves in Maharashtra. On 6th October 2005, the court issued an interim order directing the state government to treat all mangroves as forests. As a result, the state set-up a mangrove protection cell and also notified the mangroves on government-owned lands as reserved forests. On September 17, 2018, the high court’s final judgement came out even more strongly in favour of mangrove protection. Now, all mangroves in the state are protected both under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification and under the Forest Act.

Green Words

'Forests are irreplaceable assets'

"Forests and green patches are the natural infrastructures that provide water to the citizens. The politicians need to be educated on this, so that they stop treating forests as an obstacle and instead treat them as irreplaceable assets. Today, thinking about traffic management has changed. The entire world has realized that making new roads will not solve the traffic problem – what is required is affordable and comfortable public transport coupled with demand management to reduce use of private vehicles.

"The citizens who are protesting the proposed road through Bharat Van need to keep making their voices heard. Chipko Andolan to protect trees is a must.'

To show support for Save Bharat Van campaign tweet using #SaveBharatVan. To join the campaign speak to Jaydeep Das on 987008320