BMC seeks 7,836 sqft forest land near SGNP for widening bridge

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to divert forest land in Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to widen a bridge. Environmentalists are concerned about the impact on the park and wildlife. This is not the first time forest land has been taken for infrastructure projects in the area.

With the infrastructure under strain, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a notice seeking to divert a 7,836 square feet plot on the periphery of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to widen Shri Krishna Nagar Bridge near the Western Express Highway in Borivali East.

BMC seeks 7,836 sqft forest land near SGNP for widening bridge

The plot that was earlier part of SGNP is now an unclassed forest. The forest department and the civic body give different claims on the number of trees there.

The notice, issued under the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act 1980, said the ministry of environment, forest and climate change had given in principle approval to its proposal on August 8, 2023.

Chief engineer V D Kalyankar from BMC’s bridges department said this is a small patch of forest land and they will need it for the bridge-widening work.

When contacted, G Mallikarjun, director of SGNP, confirmed that BMC had asked for this plot to widen an old bridge.

However, environmentalist D Stalin from NGO Vanshakti said the plan is to eventually open SGNP stating that there is no wildlife left.

“The authorities should be saving the forest and there is no reason why forest land should be used for a road. First, the government said there is no need to have an eco-sensitive zone for SGNP and now they are taking away forest land. The forest department is acting like an arm of the government and aiding in diverting forest areas rather than protecting them,” he added.

This is not the first time a government agency is going to nibble away forest land at SGNP and its periphery for an infra project.

When T Chandrashekhar was the metropolitan commissioner of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, he took away a huge chunk of land on the periphery for service roads and widening the Western Express Highway. Later, one hectare of the forest land was diverted for constructing a car park. Officials had then claimed that this was needed to prevent cars from entering the SGNP entertainment zone.

In October last year, the State Board for Wildlife cleared blasting in the core zone of SGNP and cutting of 122 trees so that soil could be tested for an underground Thane-Borivali tunnel.