Mumbai suburb gets green brigade to protect its mangroves

Mumbai city news: The Thane district collector, Mahendra Kalyankar, has formed a mangrove protection brigade — the first time any district collector’s office has set up such a team to protect coastal biodiversity along Maharashtra’s coast.

Thane’s mangroves and wetlands, faced with a rising threat of encroachments and destruction this year, now have a team dedicated to protect them.

The team is led by the sub-divisional officer (SDO), and has police personnel, revenue officials, civic body officials from six municipalities and circle officers. (HT)

The Thane district collector, Mahendra Kalyankar, has formed a mangrove protection brigade — the first time any district collector’s office has set up such a team to protect coastal biodiversity along Maharashtra’s coast.

The team is led by the sub-divisional officer (SDO), and has police personnel, revenue officials, civic body officials from six municipalities and circle officers.

It will watch over 1,471 hectare (ha) of mangrove cover in the district that is under government land and 591 ha of mangroves that is on private land.

The move comes as cases of mangrove destruction has been on the rise in the area. Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants that protect the city’s coastline from flooding

Between April 2016 and March 2017, the state mangrove cell said areas around the Thane creek, Kasheli, Bhiwandi, Mira Bhayander and private areas across the district saw 80 cases of mangrove destruction.

“Mangrove destruction cases in the district are increasing. After consulting with various department heads, we decided that an independent body under the revenue department needs to protect the mangrove trees,” said Kalyankar.

He said the brigade will also take stock of wetland destruction cases.

A 2014 court order banned the reclamation of wetlands. But seven cases of wetland destruction, including a recent case in which a 100 acre patch near the Kasheli village in Bhiwandi, has been reclaimed for real-estate development in Thane since the beginning of the year.

Kalyankar said the brigade’s responsibility was not limited to just tracking mangrove or wetland destruction, but also ensuring that these sites are maintained and restored.

“The SDO has already been directed to identify sites that have been degraded and to procure seeds and saplings for mangrove plantations before the monsoon season,” he said.

Kalyankar said awareness campaigns on the importance of the mangroves and wetlands are also underway.

Officials from the state mangrove cell have welcomed the move.

“Notified areas under the coastal regulation zone (CRZ-I) are not only protected under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 but also the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The revenue department has powers to monitor mangrove and wetland destruction under the act. Such a team will benefit the state as there will be more protection,” said N Vasudevan, additional principal chief conservator of forest, state mangrove cell.

What will the mangrove protection brigade do?

-The team will keep vigil over 1,471 hectare (ha) mangrove cover in the district under government land and 591 ha of mangroves on private land.

-File punchnama (survey reports) after visiting locations where mangrove destruction has taken place

-If violations are confirmed, file first-information-reports (FIRs)

-Ensure that after every case investigations are completed, site restoration through mangrove plantation and wetland restoration is carried out

-Conduct awareness campaigns with government bodies, private land owners, fishing community and local residents about the importance of mangroves and wetlands