To raise awareness for the safety of fauna in and around Karnala bird sanctuary in Panvel, the Konkan Katta and the Gram Samvardhan Samajik Sanstha will form a human chain on Sunday morning at the sanctuary. They will also put forth a few demands before the administration for the safety of animals. The social organisations claimed that a number of animals have died on the Mumbai-Goa highway near the bird sanctuary.
“It has become a daily affair. A few unruly visitors or tourists throw food on the road to feed animals, putting animals’ lives at risk. It is the duty of the forest department to create awareness among such ignorant citizens and take action against unruly travellers under the Maharashtra Wildlife Conservation Act, 1972,” said Santosh Thakur, a senior member of Gram Samvardhan Samajik Sanstha. These miscreants can be monitored through CCTV cameras, he said.
Thakur claimed that lakhs of rupees spent for the protection of fauna in the sanctuary have become useless due to these unruly visitors. “A veterinary doctor and other medical facilities for animals and birds should also be provided to the sanctuary,” said Thakur, adding that all tourists visiting the sanctuary should be given information about the Wildlife Conservation Act, and banners should be put up, with information leaflets distributed among visitors.
Another demand is that barbed wire should be installed on sound breaker wall to prevent monkeys from coming to the highway. At present, there is only one monkey ladder for monkeys to move from one side to the other. The number of such ladders should be increased, the organisation said. Rumble strips should be installed on the highway within the limits of the sanctuary to reduce the speed of vehicles and reduce accidents, it has demanded.
