Mumbai: Want street lights, fences, Aarey locals tell CEO

No street lights near a house at Unit No. 15 of Aarey. Pic/RAWW Mumbai

Residents of Aarey Milk Colony's Unit No. 15, where a toddler recently died in a leopard attack, met with Chief Executive Officer Subhash Dalvi on Friday and requested him to install street lights in the area. Locals also sought permission to clear out bushes near their houses and erect a fence.

The CEO has given a nod for clearing the bushes surrounding houses. He, however, did not grant permission for fencing as it could lead to encroachment of land. The residents claimed that many of their houses are adjacent to the jungle, this coupled with the growth of bushes during the monsoon has made it difficult for them to spot leopards. While the forest department has started clearing some of these overgrown bushes after last week's incident, the locals demanded that they be allowed to clean bushes in 10 feet radius of the houses and fence the same.

An SGNP wildlife ambulance patrols the area near Unit no. 15. Pic/Anurag Ahire

A total of 50 families with around 200 members reside in Unit No. 15 where a 16-month-old girl was killed by a leopard in the wee hours of Monday. The residents said that they prepared a list of preventive measures that need to be taken to prevent human-animal conflict incidents and a delegation submitted the same to the Aarey Colony CEO on Friday.

Also Read: Mumbai: One suspect leopard trapped, search on for other big cat in Aarey Colony

"Majority of the houses in our unit are surrounded by bushes and undergrowth that has grown during monsoon. This makes it difficult to spot the leopard sitting in the bushes. We would request you to give us permission to clear the undergrowth in a 10-foot radius surrounding our homes. For safety purposes, we would also request you to allow us to erect fences surrounding our houses," stated the letter.

The lighting of houses after sunset is the only source of illumination for the residents of Aarey Colony Unit No. 15. PIC/RAWW Mumbai

A member of the delegation told mid-day that the CEO has permitted clearing of the bushes but denied permission to erect fences fearing that the 10-foot area may get encroached by way of construction.

The residents also pointed at the lack of street lights in the area and added that children have to walk around half a kilometre in darkness while leaving for school early in the morning. They also stated that the nearest BEST bus stop, too, did not have a light.

One of the two leopards active in the area, named C-55, was captured on Wednesday

"There are no street lights or solar lights in our unit. It would be really great if your department instals the same. We can help your team identify spots where lights can be installed. The internal roads in our area are in very bad condition and lead to delay even during medical emergencies," said Vasim Athaniya, a local.

‘Fix hospital at once'

Following mid-day's report on the poor condition of the Aarey Hospital, locals have demanded that the hospital be made functional with full-time doctors and staff.