Indian Wildlife Club.com has been in existence
for about a year, providing a forum for exchange of views among wildlife
enthusiasts and disseminating information on environmental issues and working
for achieving a consensus on approach to resolving environmental issues.
Recently, the club decided to go beyond its cyber existence and to set up
local chapters so that its members could get involved with a larger community
and take up environment up- gradation work.
A beginning was made by members from Mumbai.
As part of ground level activities members of the club visited the
Borivili National Park( also called Sanjay Gandhi National Park) which is
the green lung of Mumbai. There was visible denudation of the forest
on the Eastern side of the Park which called for remedial action.
Encroachment on one of the hills. In the background one can see the smog
over Mumbai city. This picture was taken around 12a.m.. In the left top
corner, another view of he encroached hill is shown.
Indian Wildlife Club decided to take up this work and for that we
have been in touch with other organisations. Our networking with
BNHS and WWF(I) Mumbai chapter elicited eager responses and officials
from WWF(I) Dr. Jagdish Puneta and Mr. Kedar Gore have since agreed to
actively involve themselves in the effort being mounted by the Club. We
are now in the process of approaching the Forest Deptt. to seek
their approval and cooperation and we expect a positive response from
them within the next 10/15 days.
Members
who trekked to the Eastern side from left to right: Sunil
Joshi, Swapnali Das, Srikant Oka, Krishna Tiwari, Geeta Verghese
and Susan Sharma
The
activities we intend taking up are :
-
Take up tree plantation in the park with the help of volunteers
-
Enrich the experience for the volunteers themselves by organizing
workshops and nature walks for them with the help of WWF(I),
Mumbai.
- Make an effort to involve the youth from the slums in and around the park
in the reforestation work
It is felt that groups of volunteers can take up the task of planting tree
saplings in a planned manner. We believe that drawing volunteers from
educational institutions has a dual benefit in the opportunity that such
endeavours provide for involving the youth in constructive activities,
educating them on the importance of protecting the environment and getting
a committed volunteer group.
Introduction: The forest of Borivili is Mumbai's indispensable
lung. Not only that, most of the water supply of Mumbai comes from
rivers and lakes in the Borivili National Park (BNP) and Tansa Wild Life
Sanctuaries. Years of abuse by quarry owners, illegal encroachment, poaching
and illicit distilling stills have taken their toll and left their marks
in the once densely forested hills. While the socio-legal processes
are already underway to clear the forest land of illegal occupants, we
can help the forest regrow fast by scientifically implementing a
tree plantation program suited to the land and climate.
The plan : Members of the Indian wildlife club visited the eastern and western side
of the park and came to the conclusion that the western side is taken
care of by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and it is the eastern side
( adjoining Thane area) that needs immediate attention. We have tied up
with Dr. Jagdish Puneta and Mr. Kedar Gore of WWF(I) who have promised
all their expertise and scientific knowledge to green the Eastern side
of BNP in the shortest possible time. The plan, however needs to be discussed
with the Forest Conservator who will map the area for reforesting.
The Activity: The objective is to plant at least 1000 selected
saplings in an area alongside the Eastern side of BNP, to be approved
by the Forest officials. The saplings will be selected for hardiness
i.e., trees which are non edible to grazing cattle and capable of taking
root in one season. As far as possible only indigenous varieties of trees will
be chosen as these attract bird life and are more suited to the soil.
Prior to planting, ground preparation like making trenches, removing
stones , cordoning off areas etc. will need to be undertaken.
Resources needed: The greatest resource needed for undertaking
the above activity is 'volunteers' willing to devote time and energy.
Saplings will be provided by WWF(I) Mumbai chapter. Implements can
be had from the Forest Department. Water for the saplings will have
to be arranged from Thane, but most of this requirement will hopefully
be met by the coming monsoon. This and some fencing work may need
some financial outlay. But who will plant the trees? This
is where we want to involve the young college students of Mumbai.
Mobilising students By organizing workshops
to create awareness in Mumbai colleges and high schools, by arranging
nature walks in the park area, by providing incentives for students who
participate in the greening project. WWF(I) Mumbai chapter and Indian
Wildlife Club members will join hands in conducting workshops.
Proposed time schedule: The awareness campaigns in colleges will have to be organized during February
-March before the colleges close for vacation. The pre plantation ground
preparation must ideally start in the first week of April by when we could
mobilse enough volunteers. Sometime
between May 15 th and the 1st week of June, that is, just before the monsoon
starts a massive camp can be organized for planting the trees. The
resources of WWF(I) and the Mumbai based members of Indian Wildlife Club
will help in organizing the workshops and mobilising volunteers.
Efforts will also be made to network with like minded volunteer organisations
working in Thane, Mulund area .
A recent study by KEM Hospital
on the increase of diseases due to air pollution in three representative
regions of Mumbai revealed that while 60% to 70% of Mumbaikers in the
regions studied suffered from headaches and eye irritation caused by pollution,
only 5% of the residents of Borivili East suffered from these symptoms.
In fact Borivili (East) has been chosen as the control area for such studies
as this part records minimum air pollution in the Pollution Control Board's
figures. According to Dr. A.A Mahashur who did the study, greening has
a dampening effect on the pollution effects on humans.
One
of the lakes which supply water to Mumbai City
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