IN A FIVE-PART SERIES, HT LOOKS AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT PLAGUE OUR CITY, AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Open spaces are a necessity, not a luxury …..Snehal Rebello and Apurva Venkat
From corporate help for planting saplings at SGNP to efforts at the local level, city strives to save its green lungs
Open spaces are a necessity, not a luxury …..Snehal Rebello and Apurva Venkat
From corporate help for planting saplings at SGNP to efforts at the local level, city strives to save its green lungs
MUMBAI: By August end, a large portion of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) at Borivli will have new green members.
Around 15,000 native tree saplings will be planted at the Malad side of the park. The land had nothing on it after the encroachments were removed. Some corporate houses approached us as part of their social responsibility. We got an estimate of the trees required on that part of the forest so they can plant trees, said Sunil Limaye, chief conservator of forests, SGNP. We will inform them of the type of saplings needed and how to plant them. So, the drive should start by the end of the month.
The addition of trees at the national park one of the few green lungs is welcome in a city that is increasingly turning into concrete jungle with less space to breathe fresh air.
According to the data compiled by Open Mumbai, an ongoing exhibition at the Nehru Centre at Worli, a total 321 parks and gardens comprise just 0.5% or 2.5 sqkm of the citys total land of 482.7 sq km. Recreational grounds cover 7.7 sqkm (1.6%) and playgrounds comprise 4 sqkm (0.8%). Also, 5.3 sqkm of all these spaces have been encroached upon. The few open and green spaces left in the city are filled with a lot of people. This clearly shows that people feel the need to have such spaces. Open spaces are not a luxury, they are a necessity today, said Neera Punj, convenor, Cityspace.
Punj added, Our estimate of securing all the open spaces in Mumbai would be less than Rs200 crore. The authorities should take immediate efforts to secure these lands.
According to environmental experts, open and green spaces are important for the mental, physical, psychological and sociological development of a human being.
In October 2005, the Bombay high court had stressed the importance of open spaces while upholding the Development Control Rule (DCR) 58 that required mill owners applying for redevelopment to surrender 1/3rd of the land to the civic body for open spaces and 1/3rd to Mhada for public housing. Quoting Aldous Huxleys Brave New World (1932), which stated that if a foetus gets 33% less oxygen it will be born an idiot, the HC had warned that if Mumbai is deprived of green lungs (open spaces), the city may get a next generation full of idiots and morons. The HC order was overruled by the Supreme Court.
With few green spaces in the city, citizens are doing their bit to make their localities greener by planting saplings in their building compounds, educational institutes and parks and gardens.
Green spaces are literally the lungs of the city. These are also places that people can use to escape during times of disasters such as floods and earthquakes, said professor Shyam Asolekar, Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, IIT-B.
AAREY MILK COLONY, GOREGAON….Namrata Maheshwari
MUMBAI: Located in Goregaon East, Aarey Milk colony boasts of 1,287 hectares of natural beauty since 1949. The colony has a nursery, an observation pavilion, gardens, lakes, picnic facilities, and milk plants. On an average, 16,000 cattle are reared on 1,287 hectares of land and 32 cattle farms.
Primarily known as a milkproducing centre, the colony is also home to more than 126 species of butterflies, 46 species of reptiles, 13 species of amphibians, 34 species of mammals, 5 species of scorpions and several species of spiders.
The 12-km green stretch also has attractions such as the Aarey Garden Restaurant, Chhota Kashmir and the boat rides and the picnic spot. A number of people from the suburbs frequent Aarey Milk Colony for rejuvenating activities such as cycling and jogging. In the past, the colony has also been used as a site for film shootings.
MAHARASHTRA NATURE PARK, DHARAVI ….Radhika Agarwal
MUMBAI: If you are bothered by the stench of the Mithi River while driving along its southern course, a stopover at the Maharashtra Nature Park (MNP), Dharavi, will serve as a relief to your senses.
Every year, around 1.5 lakh people come to visit this park located on the Bandra-Sion Link Road, that houses 123 species of birds (as recorded), more than 78 types of butterflies, 22 varieties of reptiles and amphibia and more than 30 species of spiders.
Dr Salim Ali floated the idea of the development of a nature park at the site and supervised the initial tree plantation here, said Avinash Kubal, deputy director of MNP. Today the park has 580 species of plants, which includes trees, climbers, shrubs and grass.
The nature park, inaugurated on World Earth Day 22nd April 1994, was a landfill site before making it to the list of one of the major green lungs of the city. It was only in 1984 that the process to convert this 37-acre dumping ground into the beautiful nature park it is today started.
The park authorities also conduct nature trails as part of the parks unique nature education initiatives. The rooftop rainwater harvesting system stores around 2,000 kilolitres of water every monsoon, which is used to irrigate the vegetation in the park, hence ensuring its selfsufficiency.
MPT GARDEN, COLABA ….Radhika Agarwal
MUMBAI: Amid the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, one can find a way to be close to the nature at the Mumbai Port Trust Garden, located at the tip of the island city in Colaba.
This botanical garden, spread over an area of 46,000 sqm, is home to plants such as the cannon-ball tree, travellers palm, yellow trumpetbush, and birds such as red-whiskered bulbuls, red-vented bulbuls, purple rumped sunbirds, coppersmith barbet along with a number of other rare species of flora and fauna.
There are over 5,000 plants in all in the garden with an inbuilt 800-meter long pathway that enables morning and evening walks through the ecofriendly park.
Around 4,000 people come for a walk in the MPT Garden everyday, said Vijay Kalantri, president, All India Association of Industries, which is currently responsible for maintaining the garden.
College and school students often visit the garden to learn about different varieties of flora and fauna as part of their curriculum, he added.
MAZAGAON GARDEN ….Payoshaa Shah
MUMBAI: Situated at 105 feet above sea level, the Mazagaon Garden also known as the Joseph Baptista Garden, provides a spectacular view of the docks along the east coast.
The garden is perched on top of Bhandarwada Hill and sits atop a water reservoir. Cycas, ixora musanda, bougainvillea, and hibiscus are some of the vibrant flowering plants that brighten up the 1.5-acre area of the garden frequented by joggers, senior citizens and students. The garden was built in 1884 and is named after freedom fighter, Joseph Baptista, who was born in Mazagaon.
SOONABAI PIROJSHA GODREJ MARINE ECOLOGY CENTRE, VIKHROLI ….Apurva Venkat
MUMBAI: Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Marine Ecology Centre has been conserving a large area under mangroves adjoining the Godrej and Boyce township in Vikhroli.
This green stretch spread across 1,750 acres has around 16 different species of mangroves. Mangroves release three times more oxygen than normal plants and absorb five times more carbon dioxide. It is very important that these coastal forests are conserved, said Hemant Karkhan, assistant manager at the Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Marine Ecology Centre.
The centre, set up in 1985, has theme parks on medicinal plants and rare endemic plants and palm species. Visitors are taken to the watch tower to get an birds eye view of the mangroves, learn about bio-diversity in mangroves, its importance and threats for its survival by means of nature trails, slide shows, film shows, awareness campaigns and visits to the Mangrove Interpretation Centre.
Most visitors who come here for the first time are usually unaware of the importance of the mangroves. The main motive of our educative programs is to create awareness about the same We had more than 5,000 visitors in the past one year and we had conducted around 158 awareness programmes, added Karkhan.
One of the last stretches of quality mangroves in the city is also a house to 206 species of birds, 30 species of reptiles, 13 species of crabs, seven species of prawns and 20 species of fish If you are lucky, you can also spot mammals like jackals and mongoose here. It also acts as an important stopover for over hundred species of migratory birds such as the magnificent flamingos, gulls, terns, avocets and curlews. This is the first mangrove area in India to formally adopt ISO14001 standards for Environment Management Systems.
HANGING GARDENS ….Payoshaa Shah
MUMBAI: Sprawled on the slopes of Malabar Hill, the lawns of the Hanging Gardens, also known as the Pherozeshah Mehta Garden, have been providing citizens with breathtaking birds eye view of the vast island city.
Built in 1881, the garden was named after barrister Pherozeshah Mehta. The terraced garden is perched on top of the Malabar Hill water reservoir and provides a panoramic view of the sunset over the Arabian Sea. Bushes trimmed in the shape of animals such as elephant and deer breathe life into the garden and amuse adults and children alike. Joggers frequent the park in the morning while many spend the evening amid the greenery.
VEERMATA JIJABAI BHOSALE UDYAN, BYCULLA ….Apurva Venkat
MUMBAI: A five-minute walk from Byculla station will help you get a glimpse of rare and some of the oldest species of trees in the city at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan.
Popularly known as Rani Baug, the garden was set up in 1861 as a botanical garden. In 1890, a zoo was added to the same premises making it the only zoo in Mumbai. This garden is spread over an area of 53 acres and has 843 species of plants and some rare species of birds and animals.
Walk through the garden and you will come across 3,213 trees. Many of these trees are species from different continents. There are 166 different species from Asia, 7 from Europe, 28 from Africa, 15 from Australia and 61 from America. Some of the rare species you would spot in the premises are Baobab, Ankol, Kajra, Ritha, Shivan, Kokam, Pangara, Caesalpinia, Ferrea. The zoo has a crocodile pit and animals such as one horned rhino, a lioness, a hyena, leopards, elephants, bears and pythons. One can also view the large collection of archaeological artefacts such as the stone elephant, the watch tower and the statue of king EdwardVII within the premises. The zoo also houses the Bau Duji Lad Museum, which has a collection of some of the most valued Indian art and culture.
On average, over 25 lakh enthusiasts visit the Veera Jijabai Bhosale Udyan each year. This is the 150th year of the heritage botanical garden, people should come and visit the garden and they will see something new each time they come. We should be proud of it just like we are proud of any other historical monument in the city said Hutoksh Rustamfram, spearheading the Save Rani Bagh Botanica Garden Committee.
Source: Hindustan Times, Page No.: 6, Dated: June 07, 2012