We all know that SGNP (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) is a
protected forest and thus any activity within that destroys the eco system is
illegal and wrong. Then what happened last month and which is happening since
decades is something that is undefined.
Last month the city celebrated ‘Ganesh Chaturti’ where more than 1.5crore idols were booked within the city. The lakes, ponds, beaches and seas are exploited every year and that cannot be stopped or brought under control and the same happened this year too. But what we found disturbing was the immersion which took place in the national park. Thousands of people visited and celebrated the festival in the park.
People from Borivali and neighbouring suburbs came there with their family for the immersion of the elephant headed god and thus worship one of the favourite hindu god. The park has a lake used for boating, which was targeted as the spot where the immersions took place, thousands of people came in, threw plastic and other such water materials including colours, flowers and so on. We did not interact with the people as we had decided to conduct a study where we would only monitor the activities of the people.
We observed that such large population was in no control and the numbers of people to take care and keep an eye on them and their movements were not enough. We saw people dumping large amount of unwanted substances in the lake and to understand the effect on the water we had taken the sample of the water during all the ten days and also before the festival began. With a research oriented activity we wanted to find the levels of constituents of water along with toxicity. We later evaluated the facts and figures and made a report on how the human activities will have an adverse effect on the forest and the lives within.
The highest threat was to the aquatic life including the fishes, turtles, plants and water itself. It was followed by the other animals, birds and reptiles that were depended on the water. The threat was not only to the animals that were directly dependent on water but also the indirect kinds. We took these reports to the concerned authorities and expected some actions for a better future. But we were disappointed with the lack of interest and the kind of response that we got in turn after the study.
We were told by everyone that this was against the sentiments and feelings of the people and thus there was no participation of those who presence did matter to the issue. Public sentiments with due respect are considerable and very important in a country like ours, but at the same time it is also very important to make the public aware of some facts and figures where the actions evolving from the sentiments lead to degradation of nature and thus destruction of habitat. But this idea of ours was rejected in the very beginning because all felt that we are opposing what the people wanted to do but to clarify we were just trying to show the impact of our actions and wanted it to become positive by making some changes and modifications.
The ignorance of the concerned authorities have made the situation so worse that it is a shame on us, the wrong people are placed at wrong places then how can we expect anything right to happen in and around. We can’t change the whole world but we can be a part of the changing world, it is on us what we choose just to look or to look and act accordingly. Everywhere in the city immersion is done on a large level then why is a protected area, a home, habitat, ecosystem to a thousand species of protected kinds is exploited and destroyed?
Last month the city celebrated ‘Ganesh Chaturti’ where more than 1.5crore idols were booked within the city. The lakes, ponds, beaches and seas are exploited every year and that cannot be stopped or brought under control and the same happened this year too. But what we found disturbing was the immersion which took place in the national park. Thousands of people visited and celebrated the festival in the park.
People from Borivali and neighbouring suburbs came there with their family for the immersion of the elephant headed god and thus worship one of the favourite hindu god. The park has a lake used for boating, which was targeted as the spot where the immersions took place, thousands of people came in, threw plastic and other such water materials including colours, flowers and so on. We did not interact with the people as we had decided to conduct a study where we would only monitor the activities of the people.
We observed that such large population was in no control and the numbers of people to take care and keep an eye on them and their movements were not enough. We saw people dumping large amount of unwanted substances in the lake and to understand the effect on the water we had taken the sample of the water during all the ten days and also before the festival began. With a research oriented activity we wanted to find the levels of constituents of water along with toxicity. We later evaluated the facts and figures and made a report on how the human activities will have an adverse effect on the forest and the lives within.
The highest threat was to the aquatic life including the fishes, turtles, plants and water itself. It was followed by the other animals, birds and reptiles that were depended on the water. The threat was not only to the animals that were directly dependent on water but also the indirect kinds. We took these reports to the concerned authorities and expected some actions for a better future. But we were disappointed with the lack of interest and the kind of response that we got in turn after the study.
We were told by everyone that this was against the sentiments and feelings of the people and thus there was no participation of those who presence did matter to the issue. Public sentiments with due respect are considerable and very important in a country like ours, but at the same time it is also very important to make the public aware of some facts and figures where the actions evolving from the sentiments lead to degradation of nature and thus destruction of habitat. But this idea of ours was rejected in the very beginning because all felt that we are opposing what the people wanted to do but to clarify we were just trying to show the impact of our actions and wanted it to become positive by making some changes and modifications.
The ignorance of the concerned authorities have made the situation so worse that it is a shame on us, the wrong people are placed at wrong places then how can we expect anything right to happen in and around. We can’t change the whole world but we can be a part of the changing world, it is on us what we choose just to look or to look and act accordingly. Everywhere in the city immersion is done on a large level then why is a protected area, a home, habitat, ecosystem to a thousand species of protected kinds is exploited and destroyed?
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