In what is an important order to protect the rich biodiversity of Aarey Milk Colony (AMC), which acts as a buffer zone for Sanjay Gandhi National Park and is also within the 10-km radius of the park, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has said in its recent order: “We direct that BMC shall not issue any further NOC for construction within the entire Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) in Aarey Colony and if any such illegal activity is noticed, immediate action shall be taken, including demolition thereof, without any delay.”

The proposal submitted by the state government defining the Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) for SGNP has clearly said that “the entire Aarey Colony” is similar to SGNP and is an ESA. File pic