Aarey Colony areas adjacent to Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park to be reserve forest: Maharashtra government
Following a survey of Aarey Milk Colony on Friday by various state bodies and state environment and tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray, more than 600 acres at the green lung adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) may be declared a reserve forest. The final declaration is expected by September 20.
On September 3, Thackeray had announced 600 acres (one-fifth of Aarey’s 3,122 acres) near SGNP would be declared reserve forest area under section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
On Friday, a state panel led by Thackeray, principal secretaries of forest and environment departments, Aarey administration, SGNP officials, and Dindoshi legislator Sunil Prabhu undertook a three-hour survey of areas in Aarey to be brought under protection. Thackeray said, “Friday’s survey was to see the place with our own eyes rather than just declaring it on paper. We wanted to see how much more area can be protected.” A state official said an additional 50-75 acres may be added to the proposed 600 acres.
Milind Mhaiksar, principal secretary (forest), said they found areas devoid of construction within the proposed 600 acres. “We are going for the protection of this area in our first phase. Leopard movement is pretty much everywhere in and around Aarey, but our immediate focus is to provide protection for areas contiguous to SGNP where big cats have been spotted,” he said.
Areas that will fall outside the protected zone include Film City, Royal Palms, and similar pockets where infrastructure projects have been proposed.
Conservator of forest, SGNP, G Malikarjuna, who was present during Friday’s survey, said, “It was decided on Friday and we will see to it that major hillocks and green zones where leopard movement has been captured by us through camera traps, contiguous to SGNP will be included in this proposal,” he said. “As per the provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, once this area is declared as reserve forest, there will be bar on accruing of any new rights, and any violations (tree felling, habitat destruction etc.) will be booked as an offence under various sections of the Act.”
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Bihar hooch tragedy: Toll rises to 13
The toll from the suspected hooch tragedy went up to 13 as four more people died in Bihar's Aurangabad late on Tuesday. Aurangabad district magistrate Saurabh Jorwal said the hooch is suspected to have been brought from Jharkhand and supplied to sellers in bordering villages of Gaya and Aurangabad. Gaya's senior police superintendent Harpreet Kaur said Santosh Chaudhary, the alleged main supplier, and his four associates have been arrested.
-
'Why not women?' Karnataka Congress leader slams party over ticket distribution
Karnataka Congress general secretary Kavitha Reddy lashed out at her party for not giving 'fair representation to women' while picking candidates for the June 3 Legislative Council elections, news agency ANI reported Wednesday. In a self-made video, Reddy said that it is 'disturbing' to see that women have not been given representation in the state legislative council. The Congress has announced M Nagaraju Yadav and K Abdul Jabbar as its candidates.
-
PM Modi and Karnataka CM announce ex-gratia for Hubli road accident victims
Eight people were killed and about 26 others were injured in an accident involving a private bus and a truck on the Hubballi-Dharwad bypass road during the early hours of Tuesday, police said. The bus was heading from Kolhapur in Maharashtra to Bengaluru, while the truck was coming in the opposite direction. The incident occurred when the bus driver allegedly lost control while trying to overtake a tractor and hit the truck head-on, police said.
-
Furry tales: Pet parents vs boarding centres
These centres make it easier for pet parents to tend to their travel needs while being assured that their bundle of joy is taken care of. “I have had bad experiences twice at different boarding centres,” shares a Gurugram-based educator, Parul Gupta, who feels that a big challenge that pet parents face while leaving their furry baby, is the temperament issue of other pets residing there.
-
Section 144 imposed around disputed mosque in Mangaluru
Large gatherings have been banned within 500 metres of a mosque in Karnataka's Mangaluru after a Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader warned of a 'Ram Mandir-like campaign' in the fight for control of premises on which a Hindu temple-like architectural design was reportedly found. Mangaluru authorities imposed Section 144 at 8 pm Tuesday and this will be in place till 8 am Thurrsday.
