Now, BMC to keep National Park clean
Sanjay Gandhi National Park authorities and BMC have joined hands to keep the periphery of the park clean, in a bid to bring down instances of man-animal conflict.
Authorities from both the agencies have held rounds of discussion on what measures could be undertaken to keep leopards at bay from the human settlements. Wildlife biologist Vidya Athreya has been conducting research on the issue concerning the SGNP.
“Studies have found out that one of the prime reasons for increase in leopard attacks is garbage strewn on the border of SNGP. If we see the cycle, it has been observed that garbage attracts dogs and pigs. These are easy prey for hungry leopards, ” said Sunil Limaye, director of SGNP.
Studies have pointed out that leopards attack only those human beings whose height is equal to or below the eyesight of the animal, which is why children and tribal women are at risk. Tribal women go to forests for their chores, thus becoming sitting ducks for the wild.
According to Mr Limaye, if garbage is removed, the population of dogs and pigs will go down. On the periphery of SGNP there are encroachments and slums, where cleanliness is not a priority.
To achieve this, civic officials from ward offices will work with SGNP volunteers.
In July this year, environmentalist Krishna Tiwari initiated an awareness programme to educate those residing on the border of SGNP. The programme ended with positive results.
Over the last year, forest authorities have been working to reduce the man-animal conflict. After an incident on July 16 in Mulund, where a seven-year-old girl was killed by a leopard, the authorities decided to launch awareness campaigns and implement policies for better and safer living conditions.
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