3.5K mangrove tress hacked in Uran

During a site visit on Thursday, a joint team of revenue and forest officials, environmentalists, and City Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (Cidco) officials

During a site visit on Thursday, a joint team of revenue and forest officials, environmentalists, and City Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (Cidco) officials found 3,500 mangrove trees had been chopped across eight acres (3.5 hectares) at Pagote, in Uran. Pagote is a recognised wetland patch under the Maharashtra state wetland atlas.

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“Of three spots visited, mangrove destruction was recorded at Pagote where high tide water was cut off and mangrove trees were hacked. The local police will be directed to investigate and file a first information report against unidentified accused at the earliest,” said Bhausaheb Andhare, revenue officer (tehsildar), Uran. Raigad revenue department confirmed the violation and HT has a copy of the district administration’s report.

The forest department did not comment but a Cidco official said they would provide all assistance to nab the accused.

Destruction of mangroves was banned by the Bombay high court in September.

“The land belongs to Cidco and they cannot escape their responsibility of allowing such violations to keep continuing across Uran. This year 15 villages were flooded in Uran. Next year, it will be the entire tehsil,” said Nandakumar Pawar, petitioner before the HC.

“Mangroves were hacked using machine cutters. The modus operandi was similar to previous cases in Uran - block tidal water to mangroves, choke them, and wipe them out,” said BN Kumar, director NatConnect.