A study carried out at Aarey Milk Colony (AMC) has yet again highlighted the rich biodiversity of the area. A recently published paper in the International Journal of Tropical Insect Science by researchers Dattaprasad Sawant and Rajesh Sanap has recorded 51 species of odonates, an order of flying insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies, from Aarey forest. Interestingly, 27 of them represent new records from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Sawant and Sanap conducted surveys in the colony to study odonates between July 2018 and December 2019. Dragonflies and damselflies are reliable indicators of the quality of freshwater habitats and rich odonate diversity indicates good water quality and a healthy pond ecosystem. Aarey Milk Colony harbours several seasonal wetlands, serving as an ideal habitat for dragonflies and damselflies. However, odonate diversity in AMC had been understudied.