Maharashtra forest department tells BMC to accommodate animals in its Aarey road plans

Activists have suggested underpasses so that animals such as leopards can walk across safely. Representation pic

In some good news for nature lovers, following instructions from state minister Aaditya Thackeray, the forest department has formed a six-member committee to suggest mitigation measures to BMC when it starts concretisation work of the main Aarey Milk Colony road that passes through the forest. The decision comes after mid-day's report on the issue on August 6, ‘BMC plans concrete road in Aarey Colony, activists say think of wildlife, too' wherein wildlife activists had demanded that the civic body also consult the forest department and make at least four to five underpasses for animals alongside the construction of the road.

Nature lovers and environmentalists have demanded that while constructing the cement concrete road, wildlife underpasses should also be constructed so that animals can safely move across. Highly placed sources in the forest department told mid-day that on August 24, Environment, Tourism and Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburbs, Aaditya Thackeray, had a meeting with Sanjay Gandhi National Park officials. He instructed them to co-ordinate with the BMC and form a committee involving experts to suggest mitigation measures in the road concretisation work.

The committee

On August 27, Field Director and Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) G Mallikarjun formed a six-member committee for the same. The members of the committee include Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sachin Repal, Honorary Wildlife Warden (HWW) of Mumbai Suburbs Mayur Kamat, HWW of Thane Pawan Sharma, biologist Nikit Surve who has been doing research on leopards in Mumbai, and wildlife lovers Imran Udat and Satish Lot who have been actively conducting camera trapping exercises to monitor leopard activities inside Aarey.

The 7.2-km-long main tar road in Aarey Milk Colony will be converted into a cement concrete one at a cost of over R40 crore. The existing main road in Aarey is a two-lane one and according to the camera trapping team, many wild animals, including reptiles in large numbers, die while crossing the road and proper mitigation measures will help prevent this.

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A senior Forest Department official who said, "The committee will conduct site visits and suggest certain locations where the existing culverts can be redesigned in such a manner that they act as underpasses for safe passage of animals. It is also said that there will be signages informing about wildlife crossings that will be installed along the road, and at important locations speed-breakers will also be installed."

Rs 40 crore
The estimated cost of the concretisation of the road