Mid-Day Anniversary Special | Dr. Anish Andheria reveals how SGNP inspired him to become a conservationist

Dr. Anish Andheria, President and CEO

Anish Andheria, President-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Wildlife Conservation Trust, said he always believed, “that the true identity of a city goes beyond man-made monuments. For me, Mumbai is synonymous with the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). Whenever someone asks about the attributes that make Mumbai such a vibrant and friendly city, my mind immediately goes to the lush green SGNP. There is no other mega metropolis on Earth that has such a large (103 sq. km) and biodiverse natural forest within its administrative limits.”

Some of Andheria’s first, formative experiences, his, “most unadulterated moments of life” as he called it, have been  at SGNP. He explained, “Over the past 45+ years, I must have explored every square meter of this magnificent ecosystem, which has quietly chiselled the character of Mumbai and its people. Thousands visit SGNP. Conversely SGNP reaches another 20 million daily by providing fresh air, drinking water, temperature regulation and the assurance that not everything is submerged under the tsunami of human-made infrastructure.” It is a stellar give ‘n’ take relationship for Mumbai.

Dr Andheria said the SGNP shadow falls long on his life. He explained, “The Park has played a significant role in the lives of many Mumbaikars like me, equipping one to understand the foundational role natural ecosystems play in governing our lives and economy. I attribute my decision to become a professional conservationist to the endless hours I spent at SGNP during my formative years, unravelling the many secrets that connect us with all other life forms. It also exposed me to the big truth that of the species present on Earth, humans are probably the least capable of cherishing the life they have got on this beautiful blue planet of ours.”

While its “national park” status protects SGNP from shortsighted developers, other natural infrastructures are not as fortunate. Andheria explained, “For instance, mangroves, which are the first line of defence against the ingression of the sea, and the Aarey forest, which has the same biodiversity and role as SGNP in providing invaluable ecosystem services to us, are being ravaged for short-term monetary gains. I strongly believe that while the forest is important, one should not underestimate the power of a single tree. The day Mumbai loses its natural attributes, it will lose the ability to catalyse the dreams-of-prosperity for many million humans.  Each time I fly into or out of Mumbai, my eyes try to catch a glimpse of the thick jungles of SGNP, as if to pay homage to the forest god that is keeping the city together against all odds.”  The conservationist concluded on a note of cautionary advise, “If we want the SGNP and other natural infrastructure to sustain both — the city and our aspirations, we must take on the responsibility of safeguarding them against our very own insensitivities.”