Six months later, police files FIR on mangrove destruction in Nerul

Navi Mumbai police registered a case for mangrove destruction after six months of complaints from activists, raising concerns over delays and lack of accountability.

Navi Mumbai: After almost six months of activists complaining about the rampant destruction of mangroves near TS Chanakya in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, a case was registered by the NRI Coastal Police station on Tuesday against unidentified person/s under section 15 (1) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Activists are questioning the authorities about the excessive delay in filing these complaints and the police’s failure to find the culprits.

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This is the second case registered about mangrove destruction in the city. The first complaint in a similar matter was registered on January 16, 2024, when over 150 odd mangroves were destroyed in the same area. In both the cases, complaints were made on the Mangrove Suraksha App by Navi Mumbai environmentalists Advocate Pradeep Patole and Sunil Agarwal.

“There have been sustained attempts by those with vested interest to harm mangroves in the area. Last year in December a complaint was registered about over 150 odd mangroves hacked to death. It took a lot of awareness campaigns and protests for the authorities to take cognizance and get an FIR registered,” said Advocate Pradeep Patole. “Even as the matter was under investigation in March, there was another incident of mangroves getting cut and again a complaint was raised on Mangrove Suraksha App.”

Before registering the complaint, in April, an inspection was conducted by the mangrove grievance redressal committee. The committee, comprising forest officers, representatives from the Thane Tehsil office, CIDCO etc., ascertained that mangroves were harmed. A report about the findings and the action taken was submitted to the Tehsildar and Executive Magistrate office, Thane, on September 19.

Activists, however, are questioning the excessive delay in filing these complaints and further expressed concern about the police’s failure to find the culprits in the offence. “Instead of identifying the culprits when the beneficiary of cutting the mangroves is known to everyone, who has been allotted this land by CIDCO for construction of 17 residential towers, filing FIR against the unknown person that also after a delay of 6 months doesn’t serve any purpose. The culprits go unpunished despite this being second instance of mangroves cutting in the same area,” said the second complainant, Sunil Agarwal.