mumbai

Updated: Sep 25, 2019 00:20 IST

One-tenth of the city’s national park is currently under encroachment. At a time when the city is debating the felling of more than 2,600 trees at Aarey Milk Colony across 33 hectares (ha) and whether the area is a forest, the Maharashtra forest department data shows 1,126.87ha — 11% — of protected and reserved forest area in Borivli is under encroachment, including the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), which is spread across 103 sq km (10,300 ha). The total encroachment in Borivli forest division is equivalent to 886 cricket fields (average area of a cricket field is 1.27ha).

A total of 28,951 illegal structures are built inside as well as around the periphery of SGNP, with over 25,000 structures inside the park (accounting for 10% of encroachments in Borivli), according to data from the forest department’s headquarters in Nagpur, which asked SGNP to prepare an action plan to address the issue. The SGNP confirmed that these were current figures, with some of the major encroachments across parts of Malad (East), Dahisar (East), Manpada, Nahur, Appapada, Kandivli (East), Kokanipada, Kranti Nagar, Damu Nagar, Bhim Nagar, parts of Yeoor and Ghodbunder Road.

Forest officials from SGNP estimated that it will take at least two years to clear the encroachments as more than 50% (12,572) are legitimate encroachers who need to be rehabilitated, according to a 2009 Bombay high court (HC) order.

“A 90-acre (36ha) plot in Aarey Colony has been identified to rehabilitate these shanties and the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) has been appointed for this,” said Anwar Ahmed, director and chief conservator of forest (CCF), SGNP. “Remaining structures are illegal and will be destroyed. Overall, it is a problematic situation with several technical issues. Unless legal encroachers are not removed, illegal ones cannot be distinguished as they share common walls and live in ghettos.”

The Forest and Wildlife Conservation Society (FWCS), an NGO following these encroachments since 2005, said currently there were 54 settlements (nagars and padas) inside SGNP. “Most of these were originally tribal hamlets that were permitted by the HC for resettlement. However, overtime encroachers built shanties around these hamlets illegally,” said Krishna Tiwari, founder, FWCS. “Now, to find more land for resettlement, the state is creeping into Aarey for slum rehabilitation and other development projects.”

“Area under encroachment at SGNP is high, but it has happened due to increasing population and development pressures around the park,” said Shailesh Tembhurnikar, additional principal chief conservator of forest (conservation), in charge of encroachment removal in Maharashtra. “Directions have been issued to all CCFs across Maharashtra, including SGNP, encouraging them to use sections under the land revenue code and come up with an action plan by this month-end for speedy encroachment removal.”

Ahmed, however, said nothing can be done until the 90-acre patch at Aarey was ready. “Close to 14,000 encroachers were rehabilitated by us at Chandivli as per the HC order over five years. However, lack of space for rehabilitation is the primary issue. We have ensured these encroachments are not threats to the wildlife or the natural ecology of the park.”