Respect The Nature Or Get Heavily Punished

This is true not only for Mumbai but many places. But it is definitely more important for Mumbai, especially because nature will have to be treated like extinct species to keep is amongst us. What we have to remind ourselves is that there is no one else to blame, it is only us.


(Courtesy Wikipedia)

What we call Bandra khaadi, is actually the creek that empties into the Mahim bay. It could have been one of the most beautiful places, however its foul smell is an indication of arrival of Mahim railway station. Mithi river which could have run through the heart of Mumbai, could have supported ecological systems or could have been water source for local parks has been turned into just another nullah.

We have seen on 26th July 2005 what nature can do to us if we try to ignore it. This, however, could just be a trailer if we continue with our ignorant attitude. It is not only about the Mithi river, we are seeing quarrying being continuously carried out for new constructions, we are seeing hillocks being flattened, nullahs and gutters being jammed and trees being felled. If we destroy something, we have to make provision for it somewhere else, otherwise it will turn into our own graveyard one day.

Few things that we can probably learn from the San Francisco management (I prefer management to government, management is what is so much required today!). A few examples:

Rebuild

When hills or hillocks are flatted to build new cities or communities, hydrologists, environmentalists and geologists are involved to see if we can try to minimize disturbance to the existing ecology. I have seen following steps towards this:

• Hydrologists were involved to make sure that the natural streams were not affected. Even if any were destroyed, artificial ones were built to make sure that water flow is not hindered. This also ensures maintenance of the water table.
  
• Environment specialists were involved to make sure that a settlement of burrowing owls were not affected.
  
• Whenever new communities or cities were built there were places reserved for gardens and greenery.
  

Probably more would have been taken, and I believe some of these are also applied here. However, there is no knowledge whether they are executed. I see hills being quarried off in places like Thakur Village or Andheri or near Ghodbunder Road. What will happen to the landscape if all these disappear! They are extremely for the ecological balance.

I hear a lot of discussions about trees and greenery, but overall Mumbai is losing its greenery. I believe there are some rules set by BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Drive on the Wester/Eastern Express Highways is hot and arid, neither is the downtown drive green. We see occassional facelifts when a prominent individual is about to visit. They are required for the common man, not just for the visitors!

Maintain

To keep the nature pure, artificial materials need to be properly disposed. This was part of the reason why the Mithi river flooding cause so much disruption. Some of the things that can be done:

• Separate wet and dry wastage, so that they can be separately disposed
• Recycle plastic and metal.
• Drains and gutters should be kept free of artificial materials that can choke them up.
• Public places, parks, gardens, beaches should be kept clean.

The ideal case would be every individual acts like a citizen and contributes in achieving this. However, it has been seen that everyone might not be interested in it. In such scenarios, the management should make sure that tough regulations are in place, and tough punishment is provided in case of violation. Some examples that I have seen in California:

• Fine upto $1000 for throwing waste on historic/scenic routes
• Heavy fines and sometimes even imprisonment for litter in parks or public places.

In Mumbai, I have seen the local bhajiwaalas have started to hand out plastic bags, by default, showing complete disrespect to the ban on use of plastic bags. This is encouraged by leniency in punishing the guilty.

Educate

It is important that all the residents in Mumbai should be educated about preserving Mumbai. Mind you, this is not a one-sided responsibility of the authorities, all of us need to educate others about this. Isn't it funny that in spite of staying in Mumbai I realised the importance of Mithi river an year back, through unfortunate incidents.

If we can educate people about this, just like the recent drives for tax payments and child diseases. It will be great if students in Mumbai can learn more about the local Geography. I wish I had learnt in my schools.

There are thousands and thousands of more such points to discuss, but the crux of this is that now we cannot afford to be reactive and make corrections. We have to be proactive, and take steps to avoid problems. Every individual should make genuine effort and try his/her best to protect the natural Mumbai. If that does not happen, the management should enforce this through regulations and laws. Heavy punishments should be handed out so that they can deter the ill-mindeds from disrespecting the nature. If we don't do this, nature will take its turn to punish us heavily.