Gone with the wind

Mumbai: Standing on the terrace of a tall building in Juhu, you cannot miss a marvellous view of a large tract of land with lush surroundings, where rare species of birds can be heard chirping.
You start wondering if you are in Mumbai at all. Yes, we are talking about, what many consider as, Juhu's best-kept secret - one of the biggest wetlands in Mumbai, sprawling over 60-odd acres.
Inhabited by migratory birds and various life forms (both flora and fauna), it is also one of the very few surviving wetlands in Mumbai. This wetland is sandwiched between the rapidly expanding Nehru Nagar slum and the Pawan Hans Flying Club in Juhu.
However, in a tussle between the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and the slum dwellers, this green cover might become a casualty.
The huge marshland is owned by the AAI , which is coming up with a plan to commercialise the whole area and if sources in the AAI are to be believed the wetland area will not be spared. " ..Once the clearance is obtained we will use the area for hangars and aircraft. Going by the master plan we will leave the wetland area as it is but eventually we will secure that area for our own purpose," explained an official from the AAI.
The AAI authorities claim the wetland poses a bird hazard to the aircraft. That's one of the concerns, which is prompting the AAI to swallow up the entire wetland area.
29/11/10 Sudeshna Chowdhury/MiD DAY

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Categories: Airports Nov 2010