The Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to reserve 600-acre Aarey land near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in suburban Mumbai as a forest and conserve the same.
Maharashtra CMO tweeted,"600 acres of Aarey land near Sanjay Gandhi National Park will be reserved as forests. This will be the first instance of an extensive forest blossoming within the limits of a metropolis anywhere in the world."
The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who said, the forest would be the first example of a “huge jungle” being conserved at the centre of a megapolis, an official statement said.
Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray in a series of tweet wrote, "A meeting chaired by Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday with Aarey, Forest & Environment Departments. In the meeting it has been decided to apply Section 4 of IFA (constitute any land a reserved forest) to approximately 600 acres in Aarey land near Sanjay Gandhi National Park."
"This implies that it will be declared a reserve forest after a hearing for suggestion/ objections. Approximately 600 acres of open land being declared as forest while all rights of Adivasi communities will stand protected. Rehabilitation of slums within the area would be expedited."
"This would be phase 1 for which the Forest Department will move a proposal. Phase 2 survey for additional open/ forest land in Aarey, post Phase 1 will begin soon. This would help the State protect the flora & fauna existent in Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey."
"I’m deeply thankful to Minister Sunil Kedar for his stand to protect the flora and fauna of Aarey land and his cooperation with the Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod for the same. We look forward to moving forward on this proposal soon as decided today", said Aaditya Thackeray's tweet.