Mangrove destruction cases resurface

Mumbai: Despite the hue and cry about protecting the mangroves in Talawe wetlands near T.S. Chanakya in Seawoods and those near DPS Lake, new instances of destruction of mangroves have surfaced.

Locals have complained to the Konkan Mangrove committee about incidents of mangroves being deliberately burned.

At both locations, locals reported that the mangroves were being destroyed by dumping mud and debris to pave way for construction of roads and jetties. Sidhh Vidya, a resident of NRI complex, told The Asian Age that on Monday, trucks carrying debris and big stones were entering the small passage near the T.S. Chanakya wetland area, as the waste was being dumped in the mangroves.

“The contractor said that the passage was being constructed as a pukka road for fishermen, along with a jetty. There were burnt mangroves at the site and the trees were also cut. I submitted the evidence to the Bombay high court-appointed Mangrove Committee,” said Sidhh Vidya.

The Mangrove Committee visited the site following the complaint, where they noticed illegal activities inside the mangroves. “We had immediately stopped the work and written to the authorities about where the contractor got permission,” said a member of the Mangrove Committee.

Similarly, tidal water was being blocked at the mangroves near DPS Lake. V.K. Gandhi from Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society  wrote to the Konkan Mangrove Committee seeking immediate action against destruction of mangroves.

“The dumping of debris in both the cases is a clear violation of the Bombay HC order,” said Sunil Agarwal, Navi Mumbai-based activist.