To accommodate the exploding urban population and ever
increasing land requirement, urban areas are rapidly turning into concrete
jungles.
Expanding Urban Footprint
At the northern most end of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region
(MMR), with the Thane creek on its west side, the Kalyan creek on the
north and Parsik Hills towards the east, lies Kalwa, a suburb of Thane. Until
about 5 years ago, the entire region was sparsely populated and had extensive
green cover. Most of the area consisted of unused agricultural plots, belonging
to the resident population (sthaniks,
as they are called).
These unoccupied and unused plots were densely covered by almost impenetrable thickets consisting of a variety of plant species. Part
of the land was also marshy and overgrown with tall grasses and reeds. The
region was home to a wide variety of bird species. Pond Herons, Cattle
Egrets, Moorhens could easily be spotted in the area.
Due to exorbitant land prices in Mumbai and Thane, there has
been an increasing demand for affordable housing further north. The relatively
low land prices in this suburb has resulted in rapid real estate and
infrastructure development in the past 5 years.
And as residential population increased, so did the road infrastructure.
Wide 4-laned roads have replaced smaller single and
double-lane roads. Increasing instances of chain snatching incidents has led to
better street lighing even on internal roads.
The unused, wooded plots are being replaced by multi-storied buildings and marshy land is being reclaimed by debris dumping.
Fruit bearing and flowering trees still attract small birds such as warblers, tailor-birds, bulbuls
(red-vented, red whiskered and the occasional white-cheeked), barbets, orioles,
sunbirds, crag martins, the non-resident green bee-eaters, drongos, along-side the more adaptable species like koels, mynas and parakeets (both
rose-ringed and alexandrine).
However, it will not be long before even these isolated pockets of trees lose their ground and make way for concrete buildings.
Adverse impact on the environment:
All this development has its adverse effects; bright lights and
constant traffic have driven away the barn owls. Reduction in green cover has directly impacted a variety of species in the area, with a marked decline in large birds like hornbills. Hoopoes have almost disappeared from the area and the migratory shikra is rarely spotted.
Road-side (illegal) garages have sprung up all over to cater to the ever-increasing vehicular numbers. The waste generated by these units is dumped down the drain or let out in the open, causing land and ground water pollution.
When localized development
in a small part of the suburb, approximately about 4sq km in area, can have such an impact, imagine
the effects of such development on a
much larger scale. The creation of the new link road (GMLR) through SGNP or presence of metro car-sheds
in the Yeoor Hills will affect several hundreds of acres of agricultural and forest land. Long term impact of such unbridled development is hard to predict. It may even affect temperature and rainfall patterns in a much wider region.
Is there a solution to the problem?
While development cannot be stopped, the authorities can compensate
by creating large forested parks in the affected regions, off-setting the impact of lost
green cover. Better public transportation system will encourage a shift from personal
transport to buses and metro rail. Creation of dedicated cycle-tracks would provide
a safe and economical alternative to motorcycle and scooters, and help mitigate
the problem to some extent. It is only through sustainable development that we
can hope to survive the coming decades and avoid environment catastrophe.
Save the environment, save India; remember the immortal lines by Mark Twain, following the equator -
"So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked".
