MBMC wants 14 hectares of mangrove land denotified for slum amenities

Mira-Bhayandar officials seek to revoke protected status of 14 hectares of mangrove land for slum amenities, sparking controversy ahead of elections.

MUMBAI: In a move that could turn hugely controversial, the Mira-Bhayandar civic administration has urged the state forest department to drop the protected forest status of around 14 hectares of encroached mangrove land – to build public amenities for slum-dwellers who live on this land.

The mangrove land in question is scattered across various places under the MBMC’s jurisdiction, and is occupied by around 50,000 slum residents. (Azim Tamboli/HT Photo)

The request comes only a couple of months before crucial elections to the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) and other municipal bodies in the state.

The mangrove land in question is scattered across various places under the MBMC’s jurisdiction, and is occupied by around 50,000 slum residents. The Shiv Sena and BJP are both vying for control of MBMC, and every vote counts – even if it means resorting to extreme measures.

The encroached land is in Thane district, of which deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde is guardian minister. On the other hand, the state forest minister is the BJP’s Ganesh Naik, who is also the BJP’s point person for Thane district.

MBMC officials said that, according to a recent court order, mangroves have been declared as “forests”. The MBMC’s request to denotify 13.75 hectares of mangrove land was made in a letter to the mangrove protection cell of the forest department. The letter references a janata darbar held on November 11 in Naik’s office, although the official request to exclude the slum settlements has been made by local BJP MLA Narendra Mehta .

The letter states that MBMC has not been able to provide roads, storm water drains, streetlights and toilets to slum residents in Bhayandar, Navghar, Penkarpada, Rai and Chowk. It has specifically sought permission to install prefabricated toilets in these areas.

Signed by MBMC commissioner Radhabinod Sharma and dated November 12, the letter is addressed to additional principal chief conservator of forests S Y Ramarao.

Ganesh Naik did not respond to HT’s attempts to contact him, but Narendra Mehta said, “When classifying mangrove land as forests, they should have excluded the slums, or else how will these residents get basic amenities?”

He added, “We met with forest minister Ganesh Naik and decided that these areas must be left out. This is not forest land, it is collector’s land. Hence our commissioner wrote the letter.”

Radhabinod Sharma confirmed to HT that he wrote the letter, while S Y Ramarao said he would comment only after the minutes of the meeting were finalised.

Environmentalist D Stalin of NGO Vanshakti said encroachers on eco-sensitive land such as mangroves should, in fact, be removed immediately. The forest department has no power to denotify such lands.’’