Dia Mirza slams clearing of forest in Gurgaon

What are we willing to forsake in the name of development? Asks actor Dia Mirza, on felling of trees in the Aravalli region for a real estate project, allegedly involving a leading telecom company.

After the Haryana government cleared the felling of more than 10,000 trees in the Aravallis for construction of a real estate project, last Sunday, the region saw chopping of trees in 52 acres of land in Sarai Khwaja village in Faridabad district. The move has evoke the wrath of citizens, including that of Mirza, who tweeted that she would stop using the services of the telecom company “if they cause destruction of our forests and green zones”. Her tweet was in response to the NGO, Save Aravali, accusing the telecom giant for destruction of trees in the region. Actor Randeep Hooda, too, tweeted that if “there is any truth” to the report, then he would also boycott the company.

The 35-year-old actor feels that it’s important to acknowledge a problem, so as to find an appropriate solution. She says, “Too many of us are unaware of the growing environment problem. What we unknowingly and unwittingly do is, when we invest in or subscribe to organisations and companies that are doing more damage than good, we are also supporting what is not right.”

She explains, “Aravallis are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. And it recharges the ground water. This ground water replenishes water for Delhi, Gurgaon and Haryana, and we are damaging it.”