The Aarey dairy officials, meanwhile, said they were concerned about the issue and have asked their patrolling staff to be more vigilant. The authorities were even contemplating setting up CCTV cameras at certain crucial locations, they said.
With regular fires damaging huge portions of the Aarey Colony and posing a severe threat to the area's biodiversity, many locals and activists have expressed the opinion that these incidents are deliberate attempts to reduce the city's green cover. With this, the demands for increased patrolling and stringent action against those responsible have reached a fever pitch.
The Aarey dairy officials, meanwhile, said they were concerned about the issue and have asked their patrolling staff to be more vigilant. The authorities were even contemplating setting up CCTV cameras at certain crucial locations, they said.
"I have been tracking these fires for the last five years now. Every summer, the number of fires is more than the previous year. Aarey has been suffering and losing its biodiversity," said Manish Gadia, who has been actively working with the Save Aarey Community.
Gadia added, "Most times, miscreants visiting Aarey set dried leaves to fire for fun. There are others who collect firewood or want to clear some land. While security has been stationed by the Aarey dairy department, they should be asked to patrol two areas – the VIP guesthouse and the New Zealand hostel area – which are worst affected.
Goregaon resident Vinayak Prabhu, who has been a regular walker in Aarey for the last 10 years, claimed the area suffered from neglect, as everyone simply passed the buck when it came to protecting the green cover. "I was walking close to the VIP guest house area on Monday morning and found a tree on fire. The nearby areas, too, had been cleared. I wonder how can there be so many fires close to the VIP guest house, when it has so much of staff and security. This needs to be investigated," he said.
Meanwhile, what worries several experts and naturalists is that apart from the loss of green cover, there is a huge damage to the micro and macro fauna, as Aarey Colony is not only home to several animals such as leopards but also to various reptiles, spiders and other wildlife.
Speaking to dna, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Aarey Dairy Development Board, Gajanan Raut, said they were extremely concerned about these fires, which were definitely the handiwork of miscreants. "Yesterday, we called the fire engines and got the fire at a few places doused. We have even asked our security to patrol regularly and take stringent action against those responsible. Apart from all this, we are also thinking of setting up CCTV cameras," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "aarey")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}