"It is not that leopards stray in our residential areas, rather we have built residential complexes in their habitat and upset the ecological balance. Twenty five years back Powai was in the limits of Borivili National Park when wild animals used to roam here. Today we accuse them of straying." says Debi Goenka, a staunch environmental activist with Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) a NGO based in Mumbai. Staying in Powai, he has been witnessing phenomenal changes in the temperature over the years in this green, open, hilly lake region adjacent to the National Park. He nostalgically reminisces "When I moved here some eight years back we never required any fan in Dec/ Jan, the climate was some what like Mahabaleshwar and now with concrete jungles of multi-storey buildings all over, you need AC in winters too."

Debi Goenka is an Indian who cares for the environment as represented by the air, land and water around us. He has chosen to champion the cause of environment around us because people at large we are allowing a micro-miniscule coterie of so-called 'decision makers' to destroy the natural heritage of India. He is deeply concerned because millions of people who are most affected by such destruction, which results in poisoned drinking water, floods, droughts and disease, cannot find the wherewithal to fight for their right to a clean environment.

Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) was formed by a group of environmentally concerned individuals way back in late seventies. Debi joined BEAG in 1983 after a stint in WWF-India. With his deeper involvement he discovered that environmental protection needed more action and less talk. Moreover, he had been watching how Shyam Chainani would take on the most powerful forces without fear or favour and felt that his was the brand of environmental defence most suited to his temperament and purpose. This is an action group in the best sense of the word. They do not seek controversy, but are not afraid of controversial issues. Today, Debi is the moving force behind BEAG and has given much needed impetus, direction and made BEAG into a reckonable force.

Some of the areas and issues where Debi has been able to positively impact the environment are : stop commercial exploitation of space below Andheri flyover on Western Express flyover, tip-off raid at Salman Khan's father farm house in Panvel where they had hid protected species of deer, judicial intervention in preventing the environmental degradation of the hill station owing to illegal constructions in the Mahabaleshwar - Panchgani region by filing a writ petition.

In an attempt to save Borivili National Park from encroachment BEAG filed a petition in 1995 whose verdict has come a few days back. Ending a long drawn out legal battle spanning eight years, the Bombay High Court has asked the state government to remove over 70,000 families from the Park within six months. BEAG claimed that vested political interests had led to a spurt in encroachments over the years on land belonging to the Park. BEAG said land worth over Rs 1,000 crore had been encroached upon. Apart from these they have been actively struggling on CRZ lobby between builders-politicians-mafia, reducing noise levels during occasions in Mumbai, they had been successful for not having let the State Govt come with the Mandwa Harbour Project in Mumbai, battling for saving mangroves, also being involved actively in Powai Lake resurrection.

Debi Goenka is a committed and bold friend of Environment who has used the Legislation method of obtaining tangible results. His method and approach has been lauded by media, environment experts, foreign working groups and is today accepted as a true 'Green Horn'. His work has ruffled many hackles with powerful builder-politician-mafia nexus but then he has reached a point where media awareness, public participation and positive results have proven his mettle beyond doubt. The battle is a long drawn one what has been undone for eon period cannot be undone one fine day.

Concluding our talk on a hopeful note he said "How many decision makers realize even today that our forests are the best source of water - not civil engineering structures? Not even a handful."

If I was asked had left the world a better place for my children - my answer would be, "I am trying, but I have a long road ahead. But there is still hope - as long as our children and our citizens are becoming more enlightened about these issues, and as long as our Courts continue to hold the line, I am sure we can still succeed in making the world a better place for all of us."