E-Paper
Hat-trick of wetland destruction spells doom for Uran, allege greens
A 3.6 km free flowing creeklet in Uran has been buried under the guise of providing compensatory lands for the JNPA project-affected people thus spelling doom for several villages, green groups have complained to the Centre and the State government. JNPA has denied the allegations
URAN: In a hat-trick of sorts, a 3.6 km free flowing creeklet in Uran has been buried under the guise of providing compensatory lands for the JNPA project-affected people thus spelling doom for several villages, green groups have complained to the Centre and the State Government. JNPA and other agencies have dismissed the allegations claiming there are no wetlands in the area and all actions are being taken as per stipulated norms.
JNPA, which allegedly started the landfill five years ago at Dastan Phata in Jasai village amid protests from environmentalists and the fishing community, has not only completed the burial of the wetland but raised the landfill to at least five feet above the NH348, activists alleged.
In their joint letter to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Control as well as the State Chief Minister, the activists claimed that two other wetlands – Bhendkhal and Savarkhar have already been wiped out.
The Dastan landfill is totally illegal as permissions for neither the excavation nor landfill have been obtained, Nandakumar Pawar of Sagar Shakti, the marine division of NGO Vanashakti, said. The hundreds of trucks carrying earth dug from the nearby hills did not have the royalty permits which was clearly shown during an official inspection done at the instance of Sagarshakti and NatConnect Foundation, Pawar said.
NatConnect director B N Kumar recalled that the landfill was stopped for about a week when he complained to the High Court appointed wetland committee. The dumping was resumed after JNPA “shockingly” claimed that the longish creeklet area is not a wetland.
Going by the MOEFCC definition, wetland is a waterbody which is static or flowing, man-made or natural, temporary or permanent, Kumar claimed.
On the one hand, the Prime Minister calls for creating at least 75 ponds in each district during the current Amrit Kaal, while on the other the Government agencies are wiping out the existing wetlands, he said and regretted that the State-government owned CIDCO does not accept the existence of any wetlands in Navi Mumbai.
The Bhendkhal wetland has been buried despite the HC appointed wetland asking for removal of debris, while the Savarkhar wetland was wiped out despite the four local village Sarpanchs complaining to the Tahsildar about floods due to the landfill. In both the cases, the revenue officials have filed FIRs against unidentified people but no further action has been taken.
Wetlands act as sponges that absorb excess and flood water, serve as carbon sinks and meet the needs of the fishing community apart from preserving the biodiversity, Kumar pointed out to the government, Kumar reminded the government.
The landfill for the benefit of the project affected is only a cover up since JNPA is bound to use the 400 plus hectares for commercial purpose, alleged Dilip Koli of Paaramparik Machhimar Kruti Samiti, the fishing community forum.
JNPA should have allotted lands from the already developed areas instead of destroying the wetlands on which the fishing community depend for their livelihood, Koli said.
Kumar pointed out that several villages and paddy fields have already been badly affected by the creek water that found its own way due to the landfill on wetlands of Uran.
Despite the destruction, JNPA has blatantly claimed that it has not done any landfill on any wetlands, Pawar said quoting information obtained by him under the RTI Act.
With the large-scale destruction of mangroves even the infrastructure projects will not be safe, he said and pointed out that roads built after destroying nature have developed wide cracks in Uran.
When contacted, a JNPA spokeperson denied the allegations, stating, “The said land is reserved for rehabilitation of Project Affected Persons (PAPs). JNPA has not buried any creeklet in this area.”
Box
Agencies have repeatedly dismissed allegations, claim no wetlands in the area
The organisations working in the region including JNPA and CIDCO which also holds a share in NMSEZ have repeatedly denied the allegations disputing the greens’ claim of wetlands existing in the region and stating that their claims are incorrect and misinformation.
JNPA had in response to an RTI query in July 2018 stated that no wetland has been reclaimed at Dastan Phata and that it had not carried out any reclamation in mangroves area at Belpada village.
The agencies have stated that no wetlands have been notified in the area with the original status being paddy field etc. They claim that the land allotted to various projects are as per norms stipulated and are used as per the land use policy of the government.
The agencies have also pointed out that as per the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rule 2017 Gazette Notification dated 26/9/2017, it is defined wetland as under: (g) “wetland” means.....does not include river channels, paddy fields, human made water bodies / tanks specifically constructed for drinking water purposes and structures specifically constructed for aquaculture, salt production, recreation and irrigation purposes.
