Green Lungs of Mumbai in Danger

I started searching a flat which fits into my budget and be within the Greater Mumbai limits, with a modest budget, it was a real big challenge.My search took me even beyond the boundaries of these limits but I could not find a flat which should be in city but still free from hustle bustle of modern cities. Ultimately I did get a flat in Goregaon East which really fulfill this criteria. The Building is facing two hill tops of Sanjay Gandhi National Park and on the right side there is a lush green deep and vast valley. Not far away is Aarey area which boast to to be one of the very first Government initiative initiated in fifties to full fill growing cosmopolitan milk requirement somewhere in the early fifties Hill tops are so close that as if you can touch them. The area is a home to 76 species of birds, 86 species of butterflies,13 species of amphibians, 38 types of reptiles, 19 kind of spiders and 34 different types of wild flowers. People spot mammals including leopards, spotted deer, rusty spotted cat, junglecat, civets, the sambar deer and barking deer. Surprise of surprise, this place is only 2.5 km from Western Express Highway not very far away from Airport. While in the night you can feel complete peace and silence, of course the morning starts with chirping of birds. But the grim reality is catching fast, in the past few years boating ponds, film city,thick forests,cowsheds are in danger by slum encroachers and some new government plans like four lane elevated Goregaon Mulund elevated four lane road passing through this protected area thus threatening the ecology. Another threats follows : Seventy four acres of land has already been allocated to Metro III projects in this area which will be utilised for its car shed. Another 190 acres of land is earmarked for a zoo and 98 acres more for Anti Terrorism Centre. Aarey colony has also become prey to encroachers, they have occupied almost 180 acres and as they are vote bank for all political parties, so encroachers have all privileges like voter ID, Ration Card.As per a conservative estimate one lac people are staying in this area. This dairy's milk production has fallen past few years, some people see rotten rat behind it, it has been systematically destroyed to pave way to prosper politicians of Western Maharasthra . Chota Kashmir had been a very popular picnic site inside the Aarey area, it has witnessed shooting of innumerable number of Bollywood numbers, now it is a depleted site,it is mischievously removed from tourist brochures. While Aarey is loosing green cover,facing environmental threats, the surrounding area has seen rapid urban growth in the past few years. Traditionally known for its lower and lower middle class population including Nagri Nivara but the most recent constructions are middle and uber class. IT Park, a Five Star Hotel and a Mall of Goregoan East has also added further population growth leading to traffic congestion every day. This is the price of urbanisation Green Lungs has to pay resulting in direct threat to delicate environmental balance.

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