Mumbai, Oct. 10 -- The future of thousands of tribals living in and around the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) hangs in limbo as they grapple with the draft zonal master plan (ZMP), which will regulate land use and development within the urban forest's eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). A major hurdle for the forest dwellers: the 300-page master plan was released only in English. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) unveiled the draft ZMP on September 10, in line with the Union environment ministry's ESZ notification of 2016. The master plan aims to document, preserve, and regulate development across Mumbai's green belt, covering SGNP, Yeoor Hills, and Aarey Colony. The civic body then invited citizens to submit suggestions and objections within a 30-day window, which ends today. The tribals have expressed their inability to adhere to this deadline, as the master plan was released only in English. "We have lived here for generations, and most of us haven't studied beyond the fifth grade," said Dinesh Habale, a tribal resident. "Our lives and land depend on these documents. How are we expected to understand a 300-page English document and file objections in such a short span?" An objection letter submitted by the community to the BMC said, "The fact that the zonal plan, which will have a severe impact on our lives, was not made available to us in a legible manner is a violation of our basic rights and the Forest Rights Act, 2006." Over the past month, 14 gram sabhas have submitted formal objections to the plan. HTC...