Second FIR likely to be filed against Kapil Sharma

MUMBAI: Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma and other residents of SV Road, Andheri (West), could be booked for destroying Versova mangroves, said district collectorate

MUMBAI: Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma and other residents of SV Road, Andheri (West), could be booked for destroying Versova mangroves, said district collectorate officials on Saturday.

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HT had reported on September 13 that the mangrove cell confirmed that there had been a violation by 50-60 bungalow and single-storied house owners and that they had encroached 10m into wetlands over the past three years, which is a violation of a Bombay high court order from 2005.

On September 10, city-based activists filed complaints against Kapil Sharma and other residents for violating environmental laws through the dumping of debris and the destruction of mangroves near Jankidevi Public School Road, SV Patel Nagar.

On Saturday, officials from the district collectorate said the matter was being investigated by the sub-divisional magistrate and there were chances of an FIR against either the bungalow owners or the land owner.

“After receiving details from the state mangrove cell on Saturday morning, we observed that there was a clear violation of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 through the destruction of mangroves at the site,” said Deependra Singh Kushwa, collector, Mumbai suburban. “The case has been transferred to subdivisional magistrate, western suburbs, who will be investigating the case. There are chances of an FIR against either Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) or residents of the area, depending on who committed the violation.”

Noting the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Bombay Environment Action Group — a city-based NGO — in 2005, the Bombay high court banned the destruction of mangroves across the state and construction within 50m of them. After NGO Vanashakti filed another PIL, the high court banned all reclamation and construction on wetlands in 2014.

Citing the violation, officials from the state mangrove cell said nearly 50 to 60 houses had encroached on wetlands along a 400m stretch . “While some houses have made extensions to existing properties, others have either dumped garbage or treated the area as their backyard,” said Makarand Ghotke, assistant conservator of forests, state mangrove cell. He added that the area was surveyed with the help of pre-existing satellite maps, which showed that mangroves existed up till a few years ago.

“The action should have been carried out long before. It is strange that the authorities need citizens to complain before identifying an environmental violation that was visible long before the probe had been initiated,” said Ashoke Pandit, citizen-activist and filmmaker.