‘Mangroves are being destroyed for playgrounds’

MUMBAI: The state mangrove cell has said the local municipal corporation has destroyed mangroves and illegally reclaimed 10 hectares (24.7 acre) of wetlands at Bhayander

MUMBAI: The state mangrove cell has said the local municipal corporation has destroyed mangroves and illegally reclaimed 10 hectares (24.7 acre) of wetlands at Bhayander (East).

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According to the observation made by the cell, the site adjacent to Vasai Creek in possession of the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) was filled with construction debris and development work was done to construct sports grounds, play grounds, a jetty and a number of other structures over the past nine years. “After carrying out field visits to the site, we found thick patches of mangroves destroyed and constructions carried out within 50m of mangroves, which is a clear violation of wetland rules that led to a loss of environment,” said a senior official from the state mangrove cell. “We have filed a report and submitted it to the district collectorate to take action.”

The district collectorate had handed over the 10-hectare land to the MBMC in 2007 to protect the area from encroachment. In 2013, NGO Vanashakti and Bhayander resident Dhiraj Parab had filed a petition in the Bombay high court against the state government and the MBMC for the alleged destruction of mangroves and work was carried out to construct a chowpatty at Jesal Park, a boat jetty, Chacha Nehru Bal Udyan park, protecting a wall near the creek shore and a number of sports grounds in violation of the HC rules.

On June 8 this year, the subdivisional officer (SDO) under the Thane district collectorate had issued a notice to MBMC to restore the wetlands to its original status. A month later on July 8, the MBMC filed an affidavit against the notice by SDO in the Bombay HC stating that no construction was carried out to affect the environment and construction of chowpatty was done as per area reserved under the Development Plan of MBMC sanctioned and implemented in 1997 and 2000. The matter will be heard in the HC on August 16.