An environmentalist has alleged illegal construction activities are underway at Aarey Milk Colony’s Picnic Point, where an area of 812 acres was declared a forest. This is in breach of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) notification for Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), he added. Zoru Bhathena said that on Thursday, he sent a written complaint in this regard to the conservator of forests, SGNP, and the ESZ monitoring committee of which the municipal commissioner is the chairman.

‘Digging work on’

“It is observed that non-forest work is underway inside Aarey forest, at Picnic Point garden. Bulldozers are at work inside the forest, digging up land and diverting the natural water streams. Unauthorised structures have been erected on the forest land,” Bhathena told mid-day. He also alleged that a part of the forest is being cleared inside the Picnic Point garden, and trees and branches have been illegally cut, while cementing work is also underway.