Animal welfare board calls for action against encroachers

Sunday Times of India . June 20, 2010 . Times City . Page 2

Mumbai: In the backdrop of the illegal construction activity inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park near Wagle Estate,Thane,which came to light recently,the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has written to the forest department asking them to take action against the offenders.

The letter,written by the AWBI secretary D Rajshekhar to the principal chief conservator of forests states that the board has received reliable information from animal welfare activists about the illegal encroachments on forest land in Thane.The board functions under the Ministry of Environment and Forests.Sunish Subramanian,secretary of Plant and Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and also an honorary animal welfare officer said,Over the last few months,there has been a surge of illegal construction activities around the boundary of the park.The encroachers have broken the boundary wall

Satish Phale,assistant conservator of forests,Thane division,said,We are aware that the structures are illegal and have clear records to prove this.The matter is now in court.

Forest officials allege that the even the recent spate of forest fires is man-made.Records show that 91 forest fires occurred within the park area destroying 224.84 hectares of green cover in the last two years.The state has been turning a blind eye to this issue by not providing adequate manpower, said Debi Goenka,trustee of Conservation Action Trust.

Park officials cite lack of manpower as the reason for unchecked encroachments and forest fires.There are only 126 permanent guards;hardly one guard per 5km.We need least 400-450 permanent guards, said a park official.