Mumbai: Aarey's Green Space, A Red Flag For Women Safety

Located in western suburbs and also known as the city's last green lungs, Aarey has made headlines time and again over relentless protests against construction of Metro 3 car shed. However, it has also seen a rise in crimes against women taking place in the area having scant surveillance. The biodiverse zone also became a crime scene after several incidents of sexual assaults. The recurrence of the serious problem puts a question mark on the efforts taken by the system to prevent crimes against women in Aarey.

One of the reasons behind such assaults is that multiple internal roads in Aarey lack street lights. Hence, perpetrators can easily get away. Another issue of concern is the existence of just one police station to man the sprawling area.

Stalin Dayanand, a conservationist known for his work in Aarey, said, “These (sexual assault) incidents happen on internal roads. The government should bring the entire area under CCTV surveillance. However, merely installing cameras isn't enough, monitoring is required, too. If a rickshaw suspiciously stops in the middle of nowhere, it should be monitored. A dedicated control room for the task is necessary. Similarly, street lights should be erected at every starting point of the road.”

Cassandra Nazareth, Managing Trustee of The Nazareth Foundation, said, “It is quite dangerous to travel in Aarey because most places, especially the internal roads, don't have street lights. Public transport is not available on these roads. CCTVs are installed around the police station, but not at other places. Criminals come from outside; no one from the local or Adivasi community engages in such activities. The increasing encroachment is also a serious issue. We need more forest guards.”

Conceding that more personnel are required to keep a hawk's eye on every nook and corner in the area, the police pointed out that it also takes time to reach a crime scene owing to manpower shortage.

Given its ecological significance, Aarey is an integral part of Mumbai's landscape. Preserving this life-sustaining green space while ensuring women's security is a shared responsibility of the government, local authorities, and the community.

Dangerous spots

New Zealand Hostel Road

Kokan Krishi Vidyapeeth Road

Picnic points to Film City

Kelti pada road

Ways to make women feel safe in Aarey

Installing adequate lighting

Increasing number of surveillance cameras

Deploying more trained security personnel

Conducting safety awareness campaigns for women

Encouraging local community for active participation in manning area

Starting strategically placed help desks or digital kiosks with emergency buttons

Collaborating with law enforcement agencies for regular patrolling