|
|
| Squatters
occupying land within the park do not have any legal right to stay there
|
Many
of the persons killed or injured recently have been cases where these dwellers,
who lack most basic amenities like lighting and sanitation, have sought to
relieve themselves in the forest, particularly at night. As environmentalists
point out, it is difficult for a leopard to distinguish between other prey and
human beings under such conditions. Most of the forest dwellers killed, in fact,
have been children. The panthers, emboldened by earlier kills, have even
snatched children who have been sleeping in open verandahs during the heat of
summer.
The
squatters are understandably angry that the authorities do not seem willing or
able to protect them against these attacks. But the problem is complicated by
the fact that they do not possess any legal title to the sites they occupy.
Around a decade ago, the Bombay Environmental Action Group filed a case in the
High Court demanding that the squatters be removed from the area, since no one
has any right to live within a national park. The court ruled that they had to
be moved, but wanted them to be found alternative accommodation.
In
a highly congested city like Mumbai, which is hemmed in by the sea on two sides,
finding such land is easier said than done. The squatters were supported by the
Nivara Hakk Suraksha Samiti, an organization that fights for the rights of slum
dwellers, which agreed that the squatters had to shift but argued that they
should be found adequate alternative sites. The state found a site some 40 km
away for 12,000 families, which lacked all amenities.
In
any case, squatters typically find casual work close to where they live; only
those in formal employment have the luxury of commuting to work. As some
dwellers affirmed, they were prepared to face the leopards rather than move to a
site so far away that their livelihood would be threatened. Nivara Hakk has been
able to rope in a builder at another site to accommodate some 20,000 families,
but that still leaves 15,000 families, or around 75,000 people, in the park.
Searching
for Solutions
In
response to the public outcry, the forest department has started to set traps
for the big cats. Initially, those that were caught in cages were released back
into the park, which only intensified the people’s anger. They are now being
shifted to sanctuaries a long distance away from Mumbai. Some wildlife experts
believe that this may lead to conflicts between leopards that are resident
there: all big cats are known to be very possessive about their territory. But
this is a smaller price to pay than allowing man and beast to live in such close
proximity in a major metropolis.
Belatedly,
the forest department has tried to stock the park with more prey. In an urban
jungle like Mumbai, deer and other wild herbivores are difficult to come by in
sufficient number. So it has hit upon the bizarre idea – and one that is
literally hare-brained! – of releasing domesticated pigs and rabbits into the
park. Experts have cautioned against this, warning that the pigs may have
intestinal diseases that can infect the wild cats. And, there is every
likelihood of the squatters hunting the pigs in any case.
The
one sensible solution is to build a wall around the park, so that there is a
buffer between the people and the panthers. The state government has dithered
over this, although ordered to do so by the High Court, because of lack of
funds. The boundaries stretch for 90 km. So far, only half of the initial
stretch of 22 km has been completed at a cost of US 2.4 million, which is
clearly prohibitive for a state that is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Instead
of knee-jerk reactions of the kind that Mumbai has been witnessing, wildlife
experts ought to conduct a comprehensive survey of the habitat of animals that
live in such an unconventional environment. Leopards are known to be highly
adaptable to situations and have probably been thriving precisely because they
live so close to human populations. Only after such a study should their
relocation or other measures be resorted to.
*
Darryl D’Monte is
the founder President of the International Federation of Environmental
Journalists and is serving a second term until 2003. He is also the Chairperson
of the Forum of Environmental Journalists of
India
(FEJI) and a syndicated columnist and freelance writer. He has published two
books: “
Temples
or Tombs? Industry versus Environment: Three Controversies”, Center for
Science & Environment,
New Delhi
, 1985 and “Ripping the Fabric: The Decline of Mumbai and its Mills”,
Oxford
University
Press,
New Delhi
, 2002. He was previously the Resident Editor of the “Indian Express”
(1979-1981) and of the “Times of
India
” (1988-1994) in Mumbai. Your emails will be forwarded to him by contacting
the editor at: ScienceTech@islam-online.net
