Mangrove destruction: 150 cases in the past year, not a single conviction

MUMBAI : As unabated destruction of mangroves continues across Maharashtra, authorities have failed to rein in the offenders. Statistics reveal that there hasn’t

MUMBAI : As unabated destruction of mangroves continues across Maharashtra, authorities have failed to rein in the offenders. Statistics reveal that there hasn’t been a single conviction in 150 cases registered in the past year, and inquiry in more than 33% cases is still pending.

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As per data available with the Konkan divisional commissioner’s office, inquiry in over 50 cases of mangrove destruction, lodged between August 2015 and July 2016, are pending. Of these, 22 cases were from suburban Mumbai, 12 from Thane, nine from Navi Mumbai, five cases from Mira-Bhayander and one each from Sindhudurg and Raigad districts. Moreover, less than 10 first information reports (FIRs) were filed against the offenders in the Konkan region.

HT had reported on May 25 that since the inception of the state mangrove cell in 2012, only seven criminal cases were registered against offenders. As per the data available with the cell, not a single person has been convicted in the 115 cases registered under various sections.

“We have been consistently raising the issue of pending cases in our monthly meetings with all the district collectors in the Konkan region. They have said that constant follow-ups are being done in every case,” said Bhausaheb Dangade, Konkan deputy commissioner (revenue). “We will take up the matter in our next meeting on Saturday and direct district collectors to submit individual reports on all the pending cases at their earliest.” He added that 80% of the cases pertaining mangrove destruction are related to dumping of garbage, construction debris and encroachment.

“Remaining cases include to local bodies levelling land after clearing encroachments, which leads to destruction of mangroves. However, there are hardly any cases of hacking or burning of mangroves,” Dangade said.

Officials from the Mumbai suburban collectorate said the inquiry in all the pending cases will be completed by the first week of September. “We had a special meeting with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, and we gave them a list of pending cases related to debris dumping. After removing debris from each location, we requested the BMC to make details available on its website,” said Deependra Singh Kushwah, collector, Mumbai suburban.

ACTIVIST SPEAKS

“There are several cases, which haven’t been documented officially. There are more than 200 cases in the past one year. We have incriminating evidence that despite more than 15 FIRs being filed in Mira-Bhyander region, illegal constructions were completed,” said Stalin Dayanand, project director of NGO Vanashakti.