We are a group of committed citizens (technocrats, social activists, animal lovers & environmentalists), who have got together to try and save the ever diminishing Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) or Borivili National Park. This park is one of the smallest natural wild life parks in India but is unique in the world as it is the only such a wild life park, which is so close to such a large metropolis anywhere in the world.
 
In fact, it is the only lung of Mumbai, without which this city would have become one of the most polluted in the world.  At the same time being a wild life sanctuary so close to a bludgeoning city, there are intense pressures from various quarters notably the illegal encroachers. In fact, today this has become one of the major problems of the park, which has resulted in repeated man animal conflicts resulting in several human casualties and the trapping of over three fourths of the total number of leopards in the park.
 
While the SGNP must be saved from environmental decay and all sorts of problems, it can also become a revenue generator and enhance the tourism prospects for the city, something that should elicit great interest to all concerned.  We sincerely feel that we should all get together and work out a solution that not only saves the park but also restores it to its pristine position.  Our plan envisages the creation of a zoological park along side the SGNP which in turn will generate huge revenue (like other such state-of-the-art zoological parks throughout the world) and would give the state ample reason to take proper care of the park.
 
As regards the Jijamata Udyan Zoo we would like to advise that it is a very small zoo and would not meet the standard requirements of modern day zoos.  The area is hardly 52 acres of which nearly 20 acres is utilised in the front and back portion housing a heritage museum, a playground, a bungalow for the zoo in-charge and a veterinary section.  This leaves hardly 25 acres for the wild animals. Even if the BMC gets possession of the 20 acres area of the Mafatlal Mills, it would not suffice.  Instead, we would suggest that we develop the Jijamat Udyan into a proper, verdant botanical garden with of course some herbivores and birds around which will not only add to its scenic beauty but also become a veritable "green patch" for our concrete city. The other animals can be moved to the SGNP in a zoo that will be part of a larger zoological and wild life park.
 
We have prepared a preliminary PPP on this concept. We have a very composite solution to the zoo and also to the SGNP namely creating a world class zoological park alongside the existing wildlife park and a botanical park-cum-zoo at the present park where the landscaping will concentrate more on the greening of the area than on the wildlife. 

E-mail: savioray@bom7.vsnl.net.in