Eco-sensitive Yeoor forest venue for loud parties
Thane
Although Yeoor forest has been declared an eco-sensitive zone, there is no stop to activities inside the green zone.
Sports clubs, parties and private events are hosted inside the forest area at night, claimed locals and activists.
These loud activities scare and confuse wild animals, making them venture out of the core areas to the buffer zones. With New Year a few weeks away, locals claimed that peace and quiet in the forest will be further disrupted in the coming days.
In December 2016, more than 700 hectares of private land and 548 hectares of forest land in Thane was declared eco-sensitive zone. A huge portion of Sanjay Gandhi National Park is in Thane. As per the notification, the entire Yeoor village is an eco-sensitive zone.
On Wednesday, a leopard cub was found along the road, leading to Yeoor village inside the national park gate.
Thane environmentalist Rohit Joshi claimed that in the past few years several clubs and hotels have come up at Yeoor, increasing noise pollution.
“There are around six turf clubs which are venues for private parties at night. We have seen floodlights and DJ playing music at night. We have complained to the police and forest department but apart from temporary action there is no major step taken to stop these activities,” said Joshi, also a member of Yeoor Environmental Society.
He said bright lights confuse animals who consider it as daylight and so it is important that the norms of the eco-sensitive zone are strictly implemented.
“Loud noise scares animals. Some streams are diverted to construct clubs. This also affects the movement of animals. In the recent incident, the female leopard must have got scared due to some massive human movement and left the cub behind the rock to protect it,” said Joshi.
He added that coordination between the forest, police and excise department is needed to tackle this menace. “The police have authority to take action against sound pollution. The excise department is supposed to keep a watch on illicit liquor being smuggled inside. The forest department is responsible to act against the floodlights. If there is any other complaint, it is transferred to the eco-sensitive zone monitoring committee in Mumbai,” said Joshi.
Locals claimed that the events and parties have toned down to some extent after Yeoor was declared eco-sensitive, but such activities have not stopped completely.
Prakash Kadam, a resident of Yeoor, said, “Parties and private events have reduced but they haven’t stopped. We regularly complain to the police and forest officials whenever there is loud music or bright lights. But, there is no strict rule to ensure that such activities are not repeated.”
Kadam said there might be increase in such loud activities as New Year is a few weeks away. An official from the forest department said, “No one is allowed to enter the forest after 6pm apart from the locals. It is true that there are a few private parties. We immediately stop them if they play loud music. We regularly patrol forests and have reduced such cases.”
The police claimed to have taken timely action.
Avinash Ambhure, deputy commissioner of police, zone 5, said, “We have acted on all complaints of loud noise playing in Yeoor forest. I have asked the Vartak Nagar police station to register cases against those who violate forest norms. We stop the music after a complaint and in few cases have confiscated the equipment.”
The notification
The central government issued a notification in December 2016, declaring an area from 100 metres to 4 kms around SGNP as eco-sensitive zone.
Yeoor, Chenna, portions of Ghodbunder, Owala, Bhayanderpada, Manpada, Kavesar, Kolshet, Majiwada and Panchpakhadi are also under eco-sensitive zone.
As per the notification, mining, stone quarrying, saw mills, industries causing air water and noise pollution will be prohibited in these areas.
As per the notification 185.37 hectares of private land in Chenna and 197.45 hectares of Yeoor is eco-sensitive zone.
