Forest cover thins as development wins

The urbanisation of Malad,Bhandup,Vikhroli and Thane on the fringes of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) has also seen the buffer zone vanishing. This buffer zone,though not a protected forest,was an extension of the park.

Road widening,though an important aspect of infrastructure development,has disturbed the natural animal corridors. SGNP,Tansa and Tungareshwar sanctuaries were earlier interconnected. The widening of a 24-km stretch of Ghodbunder road had closed the natural animal corridor of SGNP. Wild animals,including leopards,used to cross over to the other side of the park earlier. Since 2003,five leopards have been run over by vehicles.

A railway line divides SGNP and Tungareshwar sanctuary while the Wada-Nasik state highway passes through the natural corridor of Tansa and Tungareshwar sanctuaries. The Mumbai-Goa highway has adversely affected the Karnala sanctuary and plans are afoot to widen a 2.5-km stretch of the highway. “We have sent a report against this to the government,” Gujar said.

“Development is our priority but we have been taking steps to conserve forest,” Forest Minister Babanrao Pachpute said.

Forest officials also complain about the misuse of the newly-enacted Tribal Act,as reported by Newsline on January 18. Sanctuaries like SGNP (Yeoor range),Tungareshwar and Tansa are facing encroachment. According to P N Munde,Conservator of Forest,fresh encroachments on 200 acres of land on the fringes of Tungareshwar have been reported to the state government besides registering of 167 cases. The SGNP recently registered 50 cases of encroachment. Tansa is also notorious for its illegal settlements. “We do face this problem in Thane,Nandurbar and Dhule,” Pachpute said.

But Punam Singavi,a Thane-based environmentalist and honorary wildlife warden,has a different take. “The reserved forest is at least protected. But what about the unprotected forest around Kalyan,Bhiwandi and Thane? If this could be developed,it can very well act as what the SGNP is doing for Mumbai. The MMRDA should look into this aspect.”

SHRINKING LUNGS
Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Urbanisation,loss of buffer zone,encroachment,blocked natural animal corridor
Tungareshwar
Encroachment
Tansa
Encroachment,felling of trees
Karnala
Rise in monkey population,Mumbai-Goa Highway passes through it
Phansad
One of the best-protected,but faces threat of urbanisation