The Morning That Shook Me
A couple of days ago, as part of my morning ritual, I stepped into the gallery overlooking the little forest near my home. What faced me was shocking—several tree trunks lay on the ground, freshly felled. This came not long after a major fire had ravaged a patch of the same green space, compounding my dismay.
For context, I live in Sector A, Pocket C, where our block is blessed with a beautiful forested area nearby. This serene patch of nature is home to free-spirited peacocks and neelgais, and an incredible variety of birds. Towering mango trees share space with kikar, babool, khair, neem, and other native species. Sitting in my gallery, I’m usually serenaded by the calls of birds, with the distant hum of traffic barely audible.
This patch of land, originally a farmhouse owned by Mr. Tolani, was acquired by the DDA a few years ago. However, it remains largely unprotected, making it an easy target for trespassers. During winter, children from nearby areas often gather fallen twigs and branches to use as firewood. It’s a natural way the forest gets cleaned up, and the ecosystem sustains itself. But this time it was different. I saw a group of people with axes and other tools cutting down trees indiscriminately. The harsh sound of axes biting into wood felt like an emergency siren, alarming and urgent.
When I raised the issue on our colony’s RWA group, I learned that an application had been filed with the authorities months ago regarding the matter. However, the lone guard assigned to this area is powerless against groups of locals intent on felling trees. And so, the forest is diminishing—tree by tree.
We urgently need help and collective action to protect this vital green space.
