Landsharks move in for the kill at National Park

CITY . Mumbai Mirror . Friday, March 26, 2010 . Page 12

Illegal construction activity is going on in full swing inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, even as authorities choose to look the other way

Construction activity is going on at full throttle inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park near Wagle Estate, Thane. While on one hand bungalows at Yeoor are being demolished and hutments from the park are being resettled elsewhere, the forest department in this case is turning a blind eye.

An animal activist and honorary animal welfare officer with Animal Welfare Board of India, went around the area and shot a video of the activity which he has submitted to the forest department.

“As soon as I got to know about the construction activity I went to the spot to check it out for myself. I saw that the encroacher had broken down the forest territory wall and has started some construction work inside the boundary,” said Sunish Subramanian, founder of PAWS, Mumbai, an animal welfare organisation.

Also an honorary member of the High Court appointed Committee to Monitor Animal Welfare Laws in Maharashtra, Subramanian went back to the spot a day later, this time equipped with a video camera. Before going to the spot he spoke to forest officials in Thane, who gave him “a very lukewarm response”.

“I realised that the encroachers might assault me so I hid the camera and recorded the entire activity. It is proof enough that the structure is inside the SGNP boundary. Moreover, encroachers have dug a huge pit a little ahead in the forest, as if foundation of another structure is to be laid there,” said Subramanian.

He submitted the copy of the video to the Thane forest officials a couple of days ago.

“Instead of swooping down and demolishing the structures and booking the encroachers, the officials simply said they would look into the matter,” said the irked animal lover.

He added, “This is how structures mushroom inside the forest boundary. A few months later, there will be full fledged industrial activity inside and then may be the forest department will wake up. By then, however, it will be too late.”

When Mumbai Mirror contacted Prashant Masurkar, range forest officer, incharge of the region, he said that the matter was sub judice.

PAWS-Mumbai founder received Best Animal Activist Award : Hax World Newsmakers Achievers Award 2010 Dated 1.05.2010

Sunish Subramanian, a young activist & founder of Plant & Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai) an NGO working for animal welfare & environment protection, received the Hax World Newsmakers Achievers Award as Best Animal Activist in an international event held at Taj Palace & Tower at Apollo Bunder, Colaba on 1st May, 2010. There was 65 different categories in which awards had given to the people who had achieved an unlike an image that other in this overcrowded world through their works.

Personalities from politics, television, bollywood, advertisement, media, IAS, IPS marked their presence in the grand award event. A superstar of the Millennium Amitabh Bachchan gets Man of the Masses, whereas Raj Thackeray received the Heart Throb of Maharashtra’s award and others like Carliyta Mouhini as Best International Singer, Y.P Singh as Best IPS Officer, Smita Thackeray as Best Outstanding Social Contribution, Nandini Sardesai as Best Teacher, Vinita Kamte as Best Writer, Mahesh Manjrekar as Best Director, Milind Gunaji as Best Travelogue, Bharat Dabholkar as Best Media & Advertisement Person were few of them.

Sunish Subramanian Kunju : Founder of PAWS-Mumbai receiving Hex World NewsMakers Achievers’ Awards 2010 as Best Animal Activist from the hands of Abha Singh (Wife of former IPS officer Y P Singh) and Vaidehi Sachin (Editor in Chief of Afternoon Voice & Beyond the news)

For more information or feedback contact : nishakunju@gmail.com

© S9 News
Editor : Amol Surve
Video by : Surendra K
Video Edited by : Umesh R

Saturday May 1, 2010 . News . Page 3

With summer getting intense it is not only the humans who are suffering, several cases of small birds and animals suffering from heat strokes are being reported by animal welfare organisations. In our own suburb members of Bhandup based PAWS-Mumbai (Plant & Animals Welfare Society) state, "We usually get such calls during the month of May but this year we have started receiving such distress calls from March end itself," informed Sunish Subramanian, founder of PAWS0Mumbai. He added, “This summer our members have found 25 pigeons, one parrot, four kites, one baby squirrel, one monitor lizard and six snakes suffering mainly from heatstroke. A kite fell on the ground due to severe dehydration.”

Sunish attributes a 30 percent increase in the summer related ailments mainly due to factors like axing of trees in the name of development. “Several trees are chopped for beautification and development projects which disturbs the nature’s cycle and results in the drying up of water resources.”

Animal lovers like Saloni Bhatia from Mulund also stated, “I have seen several stray dogs panting heavily which is one of the symptom of heatstroke” In the words of Bhandup based Veterinarian S Y Bhoir, “Like human beings birds and animals also require water to drink on a daily basis. Stray animals and birds suffer from heat related problems like restlessness, dehydration, fever and vomiting as they do not get adequate water and food.”
Animal lovers and vets from our suburb have therefore appealed to citizens to help such small animals and birds by placing bowls of water in balconies, terraces and even public places for the benefit of thirsty birds like crows, pigeons and stray animals like dogs, cats, cows etc. Earthen pots are ideal as these do not tilt easily.

Jenny Singh, a concerned animal lover from Vikhroli stated, “When you see stray animals desperately licking foul smelling water seeping from the gutters one can imagine their plight. It is our moral responsibility to help them by giving them water and food. I have also appealed to milk booth vendors not to waste the milk collected from leaking packets. These can be collected and given to the dogs and cats to quench their thirst.”

Citizens can give first aid to such animals by placing them in a box with holes for ventilation before calling a vet or animal rescue organisation for help. Keeping such animals at home is illegal because animals and birds such as owls, parrots, kites, snakes are protected under Wildlife protection act 1972. When you spot such birds/animals who are suffering from heat stroke or dehydration call Helpline PAWS 9833480388/25968313.