State Forest Department tells Mangrove Cell to protect Uran wetlands

Acting on environmentalists’ series of complaints against destruction of mangroves and continuous threats to wetlands in the ecologically-sensitive Uran, the State Forest department has asked the Mangrove Cell to look into the issues and take action to protect the environment

Acting on environmentalists’ series of complaints against destruction of mangroves and continuous threats to wetlands in the ecologically-sensitive Uran, the State Forest department has asked the Mangrove Cell to look into the issues and take action to protect the environment.

Acting on environmentalists’ series of complaints against destruction of mangroves and continuous threats to wetlands in the ecologically-sensitive Uran, the State Forest department has asked the Mangrove Cell to look into the issues and take action to protect the environment. (HT FILE)

NatConnect Foundation had earlier written to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray about the destruction in JNPT SEZ and the now de-notified Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone (NMSEZ) and he has directed the Forest Department to attend to the complaints.

The Forest Department has marked the mail to the Mangrove Cell, the Chief Conservator of Forests and Virendra Tiwari – Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests at Mangrove Foundation to look into the matter.

“We are following up with these officials for next steps,” NatConnect Foundation Director, BN Kumar, said.

Following the Bombay High Court order, the state government has belatedly initiated the taking over of mangroves for protection and conservation as reserve forest. Though about 16,000 hectares of mangroves have been earmarked as reserve forest so far, many more stretches of the saline water plants including the ones under NMSEZ have not been accounted for.