SGNP officials are in talks with a telecom service provider to install mobile towers inside the leafy sprawl. The project, said officials, will help them manage the affairs of the park more effectively.
"There is hardly any mobile connectivity in the park. In case of an emergency, it becomes difficult to contact our patrolling teams and other staffers immediately," said director and conservator of SGNP Sunil Limaye. "Most of our teams are stationed at key locations which are deep inside the park. We want to ensure that important messages reach them without any delay. Once the plan goes through, we will circulate the contact numbers of our field officers to the police and other agencies so that they can contact them in case of an emergency like man-leopard conflict or a forest fire," said Limaye.
The plan, however, has failed to find favour with environmentalists, who fear about the negative impact of cellphone towers on birds and animals. "Installation of mobile towers in a protected area like SGNP is a matter of concern. Past research on mobile towers has raised several environmental concerns. Park officials should adopt a precautionary approach and avoid going ahead with the plan," director of Bombay Natural History Society Asad Rahmani said. Read the full report here.
Source: Simit Bhagat, TNN, Mumbai.
