The Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) has proposed a ropeway connecting Mulund and Borivali to promote tourism, but the plan has raised environmental concerns as its proposed route would pass above the core area of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), a protected habitat for several wildlife species.
Bhushan Fegade, Executive Engineer of the PWD’s Goregaon division, confirmed that a tender had been issued to appoint consultants for the project. He said a feasibility assessment would be undertaken before a final construction tender was floated, subject to the necessary permissions.
However, the state Forest Department, which oversees SGNP, has reportedly not received any formal proposal. “This idea was mooted by some people in the district planning and development committee but our department has not received the proposal yet,” said a forest official.
Concerns Over Wildlife Habitat
The proposed ropeway could require support towers within the park’s core zone, which shelters leopards, deer, nilgais, wild pigs, crocodiles and peacocks. Public and vehicular access to this area has remained restricted since 1991, following concerns raised by the Bombay Natural History Society. The restrictions have helped wildlife thrive, with the park now home to more than 54 leopards.
Earlier proposals for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road through the core forest were abandoned following environmental opposition. The BMC is now building an underground tunnel between the two suburbs, while MMRDA is developing the Thane-Borivali tunnel.
Environmentalists Question the Proposal
Pawan Sharma, Mumbai’s honorary wildlife warden, said tourism activities should be limited to SGNP’s designated recreational zone. “A ropeway over the core zone and the disruption caused by this will disturb the habitat,” he said. He also highlighted the importance of protecting the city’s remaining green spaces.
Environmental activist D Stalin of Vanashakti said, “We don’t even fly drones over the core zone. If at all tourism is the purpose, the PWD can build a ropeway on the periphery of the forest. Animals are very sensitive to movement around them, and a ropeway will stress them.”
The proposal is likely to face scrutiny over its potential impact on the park’s ecological balance.
Source: Hindustan Times
