A team of Greenpeace activists disguised as window cleaners entered the Mumbai headquarters of steel and shipping giant Essar this afternoon and unfurled a giant banner across its glass facade saying, "We kill forests: Essar."
The organisation is protesting against a power plant in the biodiverse Mahan forest in Madhya Pradesh that Essar has proposed. "Essar wants to destroy the forests of Mahan in Madhya Pradesh for corporate gains," Nandi Kesh, a forest campaigner for Greenpeace India, told Scroll. "This will also endanger its wildlife and displace local communities."
Kesh said that other activists were protesting outside the gate of Essar House, in the Mahalaxmi neighbourhood. Two or three Greenpeace representatives had been invited into the office for discussions with company officials, he said.
Another Greenpeace member said that the guerrilla move was also aimed at drawing attention to the actions of the new environment minister, Veerappa Moily. "He has cleared 70 projects in 20 days, so it’s crucial that we quickly send the message to the company and the government that the forests of Mahan should not be touched," she said.
Essar officials did not return a message asking for a statement.