India, Japan must enhance quality of economic cooperation: Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said India and Japan must consider ways to enhance the quality of their economic cooperation in a world under flux.
Activists in Mumbai have been protesting felling of trees for the upcoming metro car shed in the city’s Aarey Colony. In their recent move they have written to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urging him to scrap the project and protect the city’s green cover.
The Rs23,136 crore Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro project is partly funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The plan to build the car shed in Aarey, one of Mumbai’s prime green tract, has been criticized by activists and residents.
The Maharashtra government has expressed its support for the project, which involves cutting of more than 2,600 trees over a 30-hectare plot in the area.The letter has been written by Avkash Jadhav, a professor at St Xavier”s College and several activists. It has been translated into Japanese by an NGO.
Advertisement
“A couple of days ago, I got the final translated version of the letter citing 10 crucial points that were not shared with JICA at the time of the presentation made for the Aarey car shed. After translating it into Japanese, we have sent the letter to PM Abe through India Post,” said Jalpesh Mehta of Empower Foundation.
Seeking a meeting with officials at the consulate general of Japan, the group said a copy of the letter sent to PM Abe will be handed over to them. Jadhav had recently asked British adventurer Bear Grylls to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene.
Actors like Shraddha Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, and Dia Mirza have also expressed their concern over felling of the trees for the construction of metro. Aaditya Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena youth wing Yuva Sena, has also established his opposition to the cutting of trees in Mumbai’s Aarey colony for the purpose of constructing a Metro car park, declaring he is against the structure being built at the cost of the city’s green cover.
Advertisement
