Why in News:
A fire incident near Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai has raised serious concerns.
Details about the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP):
Sanjay Gandhi National Park, previously known as Borivali National Park, is a sprawling protected area located near Borivali in northern Mumbai. It spans across Mumbai Suburban District and Thane District in Maharashtra, covering 103 square kilometers, making it one of the largest urban parks globally.
The park is renowned for its dense forests, diverse birdlife, an array of butterfly species, and a small tiger population. The Kanheri Caves, nestled within the park, were carved between the 9th and 1st centuries BCE by Buddhist monks, serving as a prominent center for Buddhist learning and pilgrimage. These caves were chiseled from basaltic rock formations.
The park also features two man-made lakes, Tulsi and Vihar, alongside attractions like a deer park, a lion safari, and Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi.
- Flora: Prominent species include Kadamba, Teak, Karanj, Shisham, acacias, Ziziphus, and euphorbias.
- Fauna: The park is home to wildlife such as mongoose, four-horned antelope, sambar deer, atlas moth, wild boar, langurs, monkeys, crocodiles (magars), and panthers, along with 251 bird species and numerous butterflies.
Recent Fire Incident:
A fire erupted near SGNP, reported at 12:14 a.m., along Gen A K Vaidya Marg near Infinity IT Park in Goregaon East, Mumbai. Teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade and disaster management quickly responded, extinguishing the fire by 2:35 a.m.
The blaze, spanning 1–1.5 square kilometers on a mountain slope behind the IT park, burned dry leaves, herbs, shrubs, and trees. The fire’s cause remains unclear.
Environmental activist Stalin D expressed concerns, alleging deliberate actions to destroy hill vegetation and urged authorities, including BMC, the Maharashtra Forest Department, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, to take strict action. He criticized local residents for their lack of involvement in addressing ecological destruction, which includes vegetation removal, hill excavation, river alteration, chemical spraying, and burning.
Q: Where is Sanjay Gandhi National Park located?
The park is located in northern Mumbai, Maharashtra, covering parts of the Mumbai Suburban District and Thane District.
Q: How large is Sanjay Gandhi National Park?
The park spans 103 square kilometers, making it one of the largest urban parks in the world.
Q: What is Sanjay Gandhi National Park famous for?
The park is known for its dense forests, diverse wildlife, bird species, butterflies, Kanheri Caves, and beautiful artificial lakes.
Q: What were Kanheri Caves used for?
The Kanheri Caves were a Buddhist learning center and a pilgrimage site carved by monks between the 9th and 1st centuries BCE.
Q: What types of plants are found in the park?
The park has trees like Kadamba, Teak, Karanj, Shisham, Acacia, Ziziphus, and Euphorbias.
What animals can you see in Sanjay Gandhi National Park?
The park is home to tigers, mongoose, four-horned antelope, sambar, wild boar, langurs, monkeys, crocodiles, and panthers.
Are there many bird species in the park?
Yes, there are 251 species of birds in the park.