Saiyami Kher on 200-year-old trees near her Nashik home: They couldn’t survive us
Mumbai, June 23 (IANS) Actress Saiyami Kher has voiced her disappointment over the cutting down of a 200-year-old tree located just 500 meters away from her family home in Nashik. She says that it survived 200 summers, but couldn’t “survive us”.
Saiyami said in a statement, “Remember when we were kids and our teachers made us write essays on the importance of trees. We celebrate Environment Day. Turns out that wasn’t part of the adult syllabus.”
“So let’s do one thing. All the adults who think cutting down 200-year-old trees is a good idea… why don’t we set up their offices on the exact spot where these trees were murdered? No cover. No air conditioning. Just a desk and a pleasant 50°C afternoon. The trees survived 200 summers. They couldn’t survive us.”
Speaking further about the incident, Saiyami shared that there were three huge old trees on the road to her house.
The actress said: “So many people have taken shelter under it when it’s very hot or suggest starts raining. But it’s gone. Hopped off for development. What disturbs me even more was how normalised these decisions have become.”
“We talk endlessly about climate change, rising temperatures, water shortages, and deteriorating air quality, yet we continue to destroy the very ecosystems that help protect us from these problems.”
Saiyami shared that what frustrates her is that “we have somehow convinced ourselves that development and environmental responsibility cannot coexist.”
“Why is preserving a 200-year-old tree treated as an inconvenience rather than a priority? A tree that has stood for two centuries is not just wood and leaves. It carries history, biodiversity, and an ecological value that cannot be replaced by planting a sapling elsewhere and calling it compensation.”
Saiyami said: “Every summer we complain about the heat becoming unbearable, yet we continue removing natural shade and green cover. We celebrate Environment Day, organise plantation drives, and teach children the importance of nature, but those lessons seem to disappear when real decisions need to be made.”
“The saddest part is that future generations will inherit the consequences of choices they never made.”
Saiyami concluded by saying that she is not against development.
She added: “I understand that cities need to grow and infrastructure is important. But growth without sensitivity is not progress. We need better planning, better accountability, and above all, a genuine respect for nature.”
“Once a 200-year-old tree is gone, no amount of regret can bring it back. I hope this incident starts a larger conversation about how we value our natural heritage before it’s too late.”
–IANS
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