india

Updated: Apr 20, 2019 06:04 IST

Non-government organisation (NGO) Vanashakti on Friday filed a complaint with the state’s wildlife and pollution monitoring agencies, saying degradation and fragmentation of unprotected forest areas in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is threatening the movement of wild animals from one habitat into another.



Vanashakti had petitioned the Bombay high court (HC) in January for the creation of a 10km-wide protected buffer zone around Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS). It said stone quarrying, construction, land filling, deforestation, and new industries are degrading the ecosystem and hampering the movement of wild animals.

Vanashakti will submit the details to the high court (HC) during the next hearing.

“Rapid degradation of TWLS and its eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) has been witnessed in Usgaon, Saivaan, on the hills of Vajreshwari,” said Stalin D, director, Vanashakti.

Virendra Tiwari, additional principal chief conservator of forest (Mantralaya), Maharashtra forest department, said that they have submitted documents to the Central government to start the process to create an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around Tungareshwar. “We will highlight the issues to forest officers and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board to ensure wildlife movement is not restricted.”

In another complaint, NGO Watchdog Foundation on Friday highlighted the reduction in the green cover and setting up of cement batching plants within ESZ of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). Satellite maps from 2009 to 2019 acquired by the group shows mangrove destruction at Vasai Creek, Chena village near Vasai Creek, Nagla Bunder, and up to Dive Anjur.

Declaring an area as ESZ means that mining, quarrying, thermal power plants, setting up of industries and construction must be banned in the region.

“Setting up of industries within ESZ is prohibited and the state was required to prepare a zonal master plan within two years from ESZ declaration date (December 5, 2016) to regulate such activities. However till date no plan has been prepared,” said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee, Watchdog Foundation.

MK Rao, additional principal chief conservator of forest (west) said, “Rise in human habitation in these zones has allowed an increase in fragmentation. First, we are trying to stop all human movement along selected roads, railway networks between SGNP and TWLS. The same will be replicated between TWLS and Tansa based on our success in this region.”