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Kanjurmarg to get four-acre bird park
BMC to develop park complete with readymade nests and rare trees to attract several species of birds ........GEETA DESAI
Bird lovers in the city won’t need to go far to get a look-see of their favourite winged creatures. The BMC has decided to develop a four-acre (18,930 sq m) plot of land at Kanjurmarg East to attract all kinds of birds. The bird sanctuary is expected to be complete within the next two years.
The park will be part of BMC’s theme gardens project. “We aim to create a natural environment where people and birds can relax and enjoy the proximity,” said R K Singh, in charge of gardens department in S ward. “Once a few basic landscaping and planting requirements are met, we will be able to attract birds.” The garden, which is expected to cost the BMC Rs 7 crore, will have the rarest of rare trees. It will provide the birds with a suitable habitat for breeding. Visitors will also be able to feed the birds. “The plot, situated near Parivaar society, was deemed appropriate for the project as there are two natural water bodies nearby—Thane creek and Powai Lake,” said Mahesh Nampurkar, Architect of the park. The park will have trees and shrubs with an array of colourful flower compositions all through the year. “It is all about creating a balanced eco-system, which balances the food chain for the birds,” he added. EXPERTSPEAK “In a city where original habitat is rapidly vanishing—and we have indeed lost much of the abundant countryside of our suburbs over the past decade—it may become imperative to create sites where birds can gain from. There is so much noise and air pollution in the city that often a lot of small species like the songbirds do not turn up anymore,” said naturalist-writer-photographer Sunjoy Monga. “If the BMC has plans to develop a proper bird park, then it is a welcome idea, provided it is done in a thorough manner and not just left to all and sundry to run. It would need a good selection of fruiting, flowering trees and sites where insect populations can grow. It will require a choice of nesting boxes for different kinds of cavity nesting birds. Of course it will also need some amount of protection, as the area is small in the context of the number of people likely to visit the park,” he added. The garden is expected to cost BMC Rs 7 crore
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