Pune: People Protest To Save Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary In Yerwada

Vivek Patil

Pune, 30th October 2021: A symbolic fast was held today near the main entrance of the Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary by the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary Rescue Committee because of deforestation resulting in a wasteland.

Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is a green belt on the bank of the Mula-Mutha river near the crematorium in Yerwada, which is rich in biodiversity as it is home to exotic birds as well as local birds. About 110 different species of birds visit here.

However, the existence of the area is threatened by deforestation and the wasteland on the Mula-Mutha river bank. Hundreds of trucks have been dumping waste in the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.

Shiv Sena Deputy Leader Sachin Ahir, MLA Sunil Tingre, MNS group leader Vasant More, Additional Municipal Commissioner Kunal Khemnar inspected the sanctuary along with the protesters. The agitation was called off after the authorities directed immediate action.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Kunal Khemnar directed the junior officers to take immediate action and file a case in this regard.

Shiv Sena city chief Sanjay More, Gajanan Tharkude, My Earth Foundation’s Anant Gharat, corporator Bandu Tatya Gaikwad, Dr. Sameer Nikam, Shailesh Rajguru, Meghna Bafna, Mahesh Gaudler, Dharmaraj Patil, Pradeep Raheja, Biren Bhat, Rakesh Jagtap, Poornima Joshi, Satya Natarajan of Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary Rescue Committee were present.

Ahir said that the boundaries of the sanctuary should be demarcated. After Diwali, a meeting will be held in Mumbai with Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray on various environmental issues in Pune. District Collector, Forest Department officials, Municipal Commissioner, and environmental organizations and members of the agitating committee will be invited to the meeting.