(ANSA) - NEW DELHI, JUN 15 - In spite of the pandemic, a group of environmental activists from Jabarlpur, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, has relaunched the tradition of hugging trees, to defend the "Dumna Nature Reserve" a natural reserve that extends over 1000 hectares. In fact, a project by the state government plans to uproot the trees to build a safari park or a sports complex. Environmentalists refer to the Chipko Movement, launched in 1974 in Uttarakhand, but this time, in addition to embracing the trees, they publicized the battle on social media, accompanying it with videos and rap songs. The group spokesman announced today on twitter that the fight to "save Duma" will spread over the next few days to the whole country, conflash mobs and theatrical performances in the streets of the main cities.
"We want to prevent the Mumbai experience of 2020, when, despite a strong mobilization, the Mumbai Metro RailCorporation Limited (MMRCL), the network of the city transport, made more than 2,000 trees in the forest to cut overnight in" Aarey Colony. "
According the Global Forest Watch estimates released last April, between 2019 and 2020 India lost more than 38,000 hectares of tropical forest, 14% of its total forest territories. (ANSA).