Kanjurmarg dumping ground: BMC to install culverts to save dying mangroves

This will help channel the tidal water from the nearby Thane Creek directly to the mangroves. The solution was initially suggested by the state forest department’s mangrove cell, and was also approved by the Maharashtra State Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) in September

Mumbai: In an attempt to prevent further deterioration of mangrove cover within the limits of the Kanjurmarg dumping ground, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to install twin culverts under the existing concrete road that borders the landfill.

The establishment of a dumpsite in Kanjurmarg, on the banks of the Thane Creek, has long been criticised by environmentalists over possible damage to the area’s mangrove ecology. (Hindustan Times)

This will help channel the tidal water from the nearby Thane Creek directly to the mangroves. The solution was initially suggested by the state forest department’s mangrove cell, and was also approved by the Maharashtra State Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) in September.

An official with the BMC’s solid waste management department, said, “The presence of mangroves around the dumping site was recorded in the initial environment impact assessment (EIA) for the project. There are patches both on the east and west of the landfill. The construction of an approach road around the dump has obstructed flow of saline water to the eastern patch, and the mangrove growth is suffering there. We are going to build culverts under the road so that the trees have enough water. It is being done to comply with High Court orders on mangrove protection.”

The establishment of a dumpsite in Kanjurmarg, on the banks of the Thane Creek, has long been criticised by environmentalists over possible damage to the area’s mangrove ecology. In recent years, the vegetation on the dump’s eastern side has grown sparser, with several trees turning brown or dying after being cut off from the network of creeks referenced above. BMC officials pointed out that they had initially floated tenders for the construction of these two culverts in 2019 after environmentalists raised the issue of dying mangroves, but the project could not be executed due to a lack of bidders.