Living and loathing in Mumbai

Mumbai may not be the best, at least in its present state, a Mumbaikar cannot boast of Mumbai''s status as the best city.
Still Mumbai is good in many respect. It is lucky to have green belts and little wild life. Though vast stretches of land are being gobbled up by concrete jungles, there still remain some places that provide relief to all.
And it''s not just a few trees or islands of greenery, but a real thick jungle.Parts of North Mumbai and neighbouring Thane have hillocks and forests.
However, this green belt is fast receding, thus reducing the living space of the wild life. So now we have panthers regularly foraying into human habitats and even attacking children.
Last week, an orphanage in Thane bordering a jungle had such a wild visitor. It was a terrifying six-hour siege for the children in the orphanage. They were lucky to have survived the ordeal, but lost their favourite pet dog to the panther.
Forest officials managed to tranquilise the animal, which was later released in the jungle. But it is surely to come back again one day.
One can''t blame the panthers. With decreasing forest land and hunting ground and encroachment by humans, they are not finding enough food. Hence, the increasing forays into human habitats.
Some time back there were reports of the presence of two tigers in the metro jungle. Two nature lovers claimed to have spotted them. This increases the threat to human beings in the areas surrounding the forests.
If the tigers visit the housing complexes, their targets will not be pet dogs. So Mumbaikars are living in constant threat of these animals.
While the problem and its reason is well known, there has been little effort to stop the depletion of the green belt, thus putting more pressure on the big cats and their habitat. There are constant reports of felling of trees and mangroves on the sea shore, which may cause another environmental disaster some day in the metro.
There was a proposal some time back that all panthers should be caught and removed to some other safer place in the state. But if that happens, builders will continue pushing back the forest area with impunity.
Of course, by not implementing this proposal the lives of people staying in and around the green belt are in constant danger. In many areas, parents are not allowing their children to play in open after dark.
The only solution to the problem is recreating and developing the already devastated environment and habitat of the animals.