A forest gets cover

Is it a hawk Is it an eagle No itrsquos an aeroplaneu00a0If and when the proposed new airport at Navi Mumbai is built this unfortunately will be the scenario above the scenic Karnala Bird Sanctuary The sounds from jet engines might drown beautiful bird songs Flight paths of the birds that migrate from the Himalayas and other parts of the world will crisscross with the flight paths of these planes Amid this impending bleak ecological scenario therersquos something to cheer about The Thumbs Up Pinnacle against the Karnala landscape Pics C Gangadharan Menon After having visited Karnala six years ago one had sworn never to return Though a solitary monitor lizard was spotted at the entrance of the sanctuary at the time scores of mindless picnickers were encountered soon after They were partying in groups oblivious to the surroundings The amount of litter that was strewn around made for more than an eyesore Lora Return to the forest But en route to Dajipur Bison Sanctuary a while ago one decided to stop by and explore the woods of Karnala once more The forest gate was nearly missed as the illegal structures that existed there for years were removed by the Forest Department At the gate though spotted with a telelens hung thereby identifying oneself as a wildlife photographer the haversack was thoroughly searched by the Forest Guard Shivaji Chavan When he found a plastic water bottle he said firmly but with a smile ldquoSaab you will have to keep a security deposit of Rs 200 When you bring the bottle back we will return it to yourdquo Black Kite Thrilled that this forest is now in good hands we set into its wild environs One was spoilt for choice in terms of the trails on offer Boremal Trail Mortaka Trail Fort Trail and Hariyal Trail We set out on the last trail which took us through a welllaid out forest path Gradually the sixyearold memories were beginning to fade away There were beautiful bridges built across the rivulets of the Patalganga one spotted aesthetically built watchtowers and even benches to rest that made for welcome signs along the trail Scarlet Minivet Birdcall There are over 150 species of birds that reside in the woods of Karnala and over 40 that are winter visitors But the one call that caught the attention was from of a bird called Shama It was possible to hear its call but tough to spot One was pulled further into the forest in search of this elusive species through the thorny bushes of a plant called Maanstodi which literally meant Flesh Tearer It is so called because it has a reverse thorn So if one gets entangled in it donrsquot go forward instead walk in reverse to extricate oneself without getting the flesh torn Despite this valiant attempt the Shama remained untraceable However the exotic Scarlet Minivet Spotted Dove Yellow Bulbul Iora and the Blackwinged Kite werenrsquot as pricey to spotu00a0At one point we spotted a CrimsonHeaded Barbet making a nest She was pecking into a dried branch of a dead tree to give birth to her little ones A Barbet only chooses dead branches thereby proving that in nature nothing goes waste Spotted Doveu00a0can be spotted in Karnalarsquos forest Change of heart After the trek I proudly showed the bottle that I had carried back and claimed my deposit from Shivaji On enquiring about the transformation of Karnala he told us about Arvind Kamble the Chief Conservator in charge of Karnala We met up with him to learn that Kamble and his dedicated team were keen on keeping Karnala in the green of health Arvind shared with us about their efforts in involving a nearby village called Kelhe in an ecotourism project where the villagers would offer homeprepared food to tourists thereby earning their livelihood He also said that plans were afoot to involve every village around Karnala to participate in this mutually beneficial relationship Nature under threat Back at the foothills one took a sweeping look at the sanctuary we spotted the pinnacle of Karnala called Thumbs Up in the distance which rose to a majestic height of 1500 feet A sign as if nature was giving a thumbs up to the laudable efforts of Arvind Kamble and his team As one drove back to the urban chaos of the city reports in the newspapers about plans where the MumbaiGoa Road would slice Karnala into two came to mind The project involved widening of the existing road into a fourlane highway thereby reducing the size of this tiny sanctuary that measured only 12 sq kms Therersquos another controversy that39s raging on about this second green lung near Mumbai According to the Environment Impact Assessment Report Karnala Bird Sanctuary is 125 kms away from the new proposed airport But according to the GPS imagery captured by the Forest Department itrsquos less than 10 kms which means it is in the ecosensitive zone of the sanctuary thereby requiring clearance from the National Board for Wildlife How to get there Karnala is around 70 kms from Mumbai 12 kms beyond Panvel on the MumbaiGoa Highway Driving time is approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes When to go Any time of the year And the monsoon is a good time to start DOrsquoS AND DONTrsquoS Dorsquos gt Carry plenty of water gt Wear loose fitting and simple clothes that blend with the surroundings gt Treat the area and its property with respect gt Keep the forest clean mdash Carry a bag to bring your trash home gt If in a vehicle bear in mind that animals have the right of way within the park gt Maintain silence Avoid using transistors sound systems or having loud conversations Donrsquots gt Do not disturb the animals and birds gt Do not try to irritate them gt Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption inside the park gt Do not use flash photography gt Do not use horns drive fast harass animals or light campfires and firecrackers gt Do not carry firearmsu00a0