Ever Wondered 500 Species of Flora & Fauna Can be Found in Two Parks in Mumbai?

Mumbai is widely known for its high rise buildings and cramped public spaces which lends the metropolitan city the image of being a concrete jungle.

But a recently conducted survey has revealed that the numerous parks and gardens in the city nestle within itself a rich biodiversity. The survey titled Park Diaries: Dekha-Undekha assessed two parks — Mancherji Joshi Five Gardens in Dadar and Dr. Abdul Kalam Vanodyan in Malad. The survey was jointly conducted by a Mumbai-based non-profit organisation named Waatavaran Foundation.

The survey found that there are 154 species of plants in Mancherji Joshi Five Gardens including 76 tree species, 32 shrub species, 12 commonly observed plants, 37 herb species, and nine climber plants.

Also, a total of 126 species of animals were found in the park. This included 63 insect species, 29 bird species, 25 species of butterflies, and nine species of moth.

Similarly, in Malad’s Dr Abdul Kalam Vanodyan, a total of 162 species of plants were reported. The plants included 96 species of trees, 39 shrub species, about 10 commonly observed plants, 25 species of herb and two climbers.

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In terms of fauna, the park has 124 species including 70 species of insects, 23 species of birds, 14 species of butterfly, and 17 species of moths.

Bhagwan Kesbhat, founder of Waatavaran Foundation while giving the keynote address remarked that this report has been published in the light of a concerning scenario wherein we are facing a serious issue of loss of biodiversity worldwide.

“There has been evident impact on coastal flora and fauna as well which is very relevant and alarming for a coastal city like Mumbai. It's high time we take accountability for these issues and especially help young minds to connect with their surrounding environment and take action,” he was quoted in a press statement.

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It is to be noted that a study titled Urban Heat Island Dynamics in Response to Land-Use/Land-Cover Change in the Coastal City of Mumbai found that the city has lost 81 per cent of its open land (barren spaces without any vegetation), 40 per cent green cover (forests & scrublands) and approximately 30 per cent of its water bodies (lakes, ponds, floodplains) between 1991 and 2018.

It also mentioned that the built-up area rose by 66 per cent in the same period.