Mumbai News: BMC Releases Draft Zonal Master Plan For Sanjay Gandhi National Park Eco-Sensitive Zone After 9 Years

Mumbai: Nine long years after the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) notified that a Zonal Master Plan for any development in the Eco-sensitive Zone (ESZ) of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) must be prepared, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has readied a Draft Zonal Master Plan. Around 5945 hectares of SGNP fall under the ESZ, which is partially located in the Mumbai suburban and Thane districts.

Plan Applicable Across Multiple Municipal Corporations

The draft is prepared by the Development Plan (DP) department of the BMC and will be applicable for the municipal corporations of Thane, Mira Bhayandar, Vasai Virar and Palghar district. The BMC notified about the draft zonal master plan on Wednesday, inviting suggestions and objections within the next 30 days. The draft is available on the BMC website.

BMC Tasked with Preparing Plan Despite Wider Jurisdiction

As per the BMC notification, the principal secretary (Forest) informed the BMC in 2021 that the Mumbai municipal commissioner is the chairperson of the monitoring committee and shall prepare and submit the zonal master plan of ESZ for the SGNP.

HC Intervention Prompted Action, Say Environmentalists

However, environmental activists expressed surprise at why the Mumbai civic body prepared the plan, which will be applicable to neighbouring civic bodies as well.

Speaking on this, BMC’s Chief Engineer (DP) Sunil Rathod said, “As per the directions from the state government, the BMC has prepared the draft zonal master plan. It is prepared in consultation with the Thane, Mira Bhayandar, Vasai Virar municipal corporations.” After the citizens' suggestions/objections are received, the BMC will submit the final plan to the state government for finalisation.

Environmentalists say the draft zonal plan was notified only because the Bombay High Court stayed rehabilitation of encroachers in SGNP unless the Zonal Master Plan is finalised.

“The HC judgement on the rehabilitation of thousands of SGNP encroachers in January this year. If the court had not given the stay, there would have been no steps towards the preparation of the zonal master plan. Also, why is BMC leading for other civic bodies? The planning authorities like MMRDA, MHADA, town planning etc could have prepared it, if not the state government,” said environmentalist, founder of Conservation Action Trust, Debi Goenka.

In July, the state government had informed the HC of the extensive challenges faced in rehabilitating forest encroachers and removing commercial encroachments from SGNP.

Activists Slam Draft as Pro-Development, Anti-Ecology

Slamming the draft zonal master plan prepared by the BMC, activist and director of NGO Vanashakti, Stalin D, said that it does not do any justice towards conservation of ecology and the environment.”

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“The purpose of the notification is to conserve the ecology. But the emphasis is on very subtly repeating that whatever the urban bodies want, they can do inside the ESZ. There are special provisions built in for Metro car sheds and depots; permission granted for townships, shopping malls and every possible construction that one can imagine. There is zero attempt to preserve the remaining green spaces. In fact, even parts of Aarey seem to be on the chopping block,” Stalin said.

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