Rare heritage trees, birds of Kolshet in Thane being gradually destroyed, claim environmentalists in survey

The rich biodiversity of rare heritage trees and birds of Kolshet in Thane is gradually being destroyed, highlighted Thane-based environmentalists in a recent survey; rampant construction and developmental activities have necessitated protecting 17.5% of the bird species in the area

The rich biodiversity of rare heritage trees and birds in Kolshet, Thane, is gradually being destroyed, highlighted Thane-based environmentalists in a survey conducted recently. The rampant construction and developmental activities in these areas have necessitated protecting 17.5% of the bird species in the area. The survey also claimed that without identifying the species of trees in these areas, orders to transplant or cut trees have been noticed by environmentalists.

Environmentalists call for protection of rare heritage trees and birds of Kolshet area in Thane. (PRAFUL GANGURDE/HT PHOTO)

Kolshet region is blessed with a thick green cover of trees that were a part of the forest. There are a number of typha-rich wetlands and a vast creek with mangroves. The survey was conducted from Nandibaba Chowk to Kolshet Creek – the most green cover region.

“Many environmentalists visit Kolshet areas to understand their rich biodiversity. They found that permissions were haphazardly granted to hack trees without understanding the species or their importance. In the current scenario, it is very likely that rare and important trees have not been identified correctly and clubbed together as wild by the local authorities,” said Rohit Joshi, environmentalist, Thane.

In a permission granted by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), the Thane tree authority has mentioned 46 trees as wild trees. This constitutes around 10% of the 431 trees in Kolshet. Whereas, in the survey conducted by the environmentalists last month, they noticed eight mango trees, seven jamun trees and many banyan, peepal and umbar or gular trees that are likely to be around 50 to 60 years old. Moreover, two amherstia nobilis (Urwashi) trees were observed behind Clariant Bus Stop that seem to be the only trees of this species in the entire Thane.

“A fair attempt should be made by local authorities to conserve the remaining trees in their existing locations. In cases where transplanting these non-heritage trees is inevitable, they should be transplanted following proper and scientifically-recommended transplantation procedures and within the geographical area of Thane city. Moreover, monitoring of the transplanted trees for at least three years after transplantation is extremely important,” added Joshi.

The green cover of trees within the compounds of a few companies and factories has been a boon for birds, both resident and migratory, for feeding, roosting, nesting and breeding. With the high amount of green cover within the Kolshet area, 37% of the bird count in Thane city is from here alone. Among these, around 17.5% of the birds are to be protected.

“The River Tern, Oriental Darter and the Alexandrine Parakeets that are near-threatened birds are resident birds of Kolshet. The yellow-footed Green Pigeon – the State bird of Maharashtra – are also seen here in sizable numbers and there is a record of them nesting on the tamarind trees in Kolshet. There are more than 80 species of migratory birds that visit this region from October to March every year. They will lose their roosting and nesting spots as well,” said Clara Correia, professor and environmentalist who was a part of the survey team.

Experts who conducted this survey are keen on providing TMC with support to identify species of trees or conduct any detailed research regarding Thane city’s bio-diversity.

A senior official from the Thane Municipal Corporation said, “We always consider the feasibility of the situation, consider with the forest department if need be and take a conscious call before hacking trees.”