SoBo locals tie rakhis to trees to save them

In an effort to save dozens of decades-old trees in Tata Garden at Bhulabhai Desai Road that the civic body plans to cut to make way for coastal road project, residents of Breach Candy, south Mumbai, tied rakhis to the trees on Sunday.

More than 100 members from the area tied a cloth around trees in the garden as part of the campaign, called ‘Rakhi Bandho Vrish Bachao Abhiyan’.

“There are more than 100 trees in this garden, and the civic body is now planning to cut these trees. We are not against development, but there can be other alternatives that can be explored instead of a coastal road,” said Dr Nilesh Baxi, founder of Breach Candy Welfare Group. Niranjan Shetty, member of the group, said the idea behind tying rakhis to trees was to ‘protect them, just like a sister protects her brother’.

An official associated with the project said trees that are cut would be replanted. A senior official associated with the project said, “The protesters are not willing to understand that a seven-hectare garden is a part of the project plan. A lot more greenery would be seen once the project is completed. It is aimed to make life better for future generations”.