Residents battle for 7 years to save a pond

A few years ago, an environmental activist living at Charkop, Kandivali West, observed some beautiful rare birds around a pond on the foothills of Turzon Point.

- Shreya Jachak

MUMBAI: The pond, abutting 135 hectares of mangroves, was routinely debased and littered and in a filthy state.

A group of three residents then embarked on cleaning it; the enterprise eventually became a drive that continued for seven years and ended only last week after the forest department started work to enclose and protect the pond.

The water body, which has a vast biodiversity, attracts varied migratory birds.

"Our hearts sank seeing the birds sit around the stinking and littered pond," said Milli Shetty, the activist who kick-started the operation. "Every weekend from 6 am to 9 am, a few residents would gather to clean it," said Shetty. As the weeks passed, more people from the vicinity joined in.

Narcise Fernandes, another resident who was instrumental in organising the clean-up drives, said that the residents did not have fancy equipment but a small team from the BMC helped initially.