Environment study cautions about Mumbai's open spaces and water bodies

MUMBAI: "Mumbai's open spaces, water bodies and coastal areas were either fast depleting and thus falling short for the human life. The situations demands for better and organised planning," suggested a study by The Environment Improvement Society (EIS) - formed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
It recently released a study report encompassing environmental features in the city of Mumbai during a seminar on 'Inventorisation of Environmental Features of Mumbai' organized by the Environment Improvement Society.
The project was initiated with an objective of preparing a comprehensive database of environmental features so as to notify planning processes. The study was released at the hands of Rahul Asthana, President, MMR-EIS and Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA. Present on the occasion were D.M.Sukhtankar, State's former Chief Secretary and several other officials.
The environmental features included in the study are Water Courses (Rivers and Natural Drains); Large Urban Greens such as Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Arey Area etc.; Coastline features (Rocky outcrops and beaches); Open Spaces (Playgrounds, recreational grounds and gardens which were reserved in the Development Plan of Mumbai, 1991) and Water Bodies (Lakes, Tanks etc.).
"The study has identified 24 water sources, 46 coastline features, 7 large urban greens, 103 water bodies and 3,246 open spaces and observed that the open spaces are only a 5-minute walk away for most Mumbaikars", informed Asthana.
The crucial study - one-of-its-kind in the country - identified and documented 3,493 environmental features in the city. The study has also brought to the fore a few basic issues of direct disposal of Industrial and other waste into the water courses besides garbage dumping, encroachment, construction debris, sludge and poor embankments which cause high soil erosion of water courses at several places in the city. The study has further indicated plastic littering, dumping of fishing equipment, oil spills, restricted accessibility to beaches and open defecation as the reasons, among various other, for declining coastlines. The study further points out the slums and encroachment for the lack of large urban greens.
"We hope the study will awaken the city planners of the woes our vibrant city is suffering through. The database created through this study will help them plan future projects and also guide the administrators of the city take appropriate steps in appropriate direction", said Asthana.
The 3-year study for water courses, large urban greens and coastline features was conducted by M/s. HCP-Design Project Management Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad, and by M/s. Adarkar Associates, Mumbai, for open spaces and water bodies.