Aarey colony on path to becoming garbage-free

After Aaditya Thackeray`s assurance of ridding Aarey Milk Colony of heaps of waste, BMC starts cleaning Goregaon’s green lung; massive clean-up drive this week

Environment minister Aaditya Thackeray's promise to rid Aarey Milk Colony of garbage menace can be seen turning into reality. Locals have told mid-day that for the past three days, the BMC has been clearing trash dumped at various places in the locality.

Moreover, the local MLA said that a mega clean-up drive would be undertaken at Aarey Milk Colony on Sunday to remove as much garbage as possible. On January 17, mid-day reported about the newspaper's conversations with Thackeray, who assured that both the garbage and bad road issues would soon be addressed.

Locals had been demanding that the heaps of garbage dumped in Aarey Milk Colony be cleared. A recent analysis by NGO Empower Foundation had found a link between garbage and human-wildlife conflict in the city's green lung, and recommended clearing it.

On Thursday, MLA Ravindra Waikar met officials from the BMC ward office, solid waste management department, Forest Department, office of the Aarey Milk Colony chief executive officer and some NGOs in wildlife conservation.

‘Join mass clean-up'

"On January 23, which is also the birth anniversary of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, a major clean-up drive will be taken up in Aarey Milk Colony with help of the BMC, Shiv Sainiks and like-minded people. The clean-up drive will take place between 8 am and 2 pm, and I would also take part. I appeal to the like-minded people to come forward and join us," he told mid-day.

Dr Jalpesh Mehta, founder-chairperson of Empower Foundation, said, "It is touching to see that finally the Forest Department, Aarey Dairy, the BMC and a citizen group like Empower Foundation came together under the leadership of MLA Ravindra Waikarji in the larger interest of Aarey. A joint and collaborative effort by all the constituents would help clean Aarey, beginning with 56 spots identified by our team. Garbage is the root cause of leopard attacks in the area, as it attracts pigs, hens, cows and goats."

On Thursday, officials of the Thane Forest Department (Territorial) distributed compensation cheques to the victims and families of those injured in leopard attacks. Assistant Conservator of Forest Girija Desai explained to people the concept of living with leopards and how to avoid conflict with wild animals.

Action against littering

Waikar also instructed BMC and the Aarey CEO office to take strict action against people who run illegal poultry and mutton shops in the area, and are responsible for throwing waste. He suggested the BMC deploy clean-up marshals to act against litterers. The MLA also pointed to increasing encroachments and asked the Aarey CEO office to take action. "Just like us humans, the leopards in Aarey are Mumbaikars, but before that they are Goregaonkars and our close relatives. If we take precautions, we can co-exist peacefully. We will help the Forest Department in the best possible way to prevent human-animal conflict," Waikar said.

23
Day this month that a mass clean-up drive will be held in Aarey