‘Mangroves were hacked at MMRDA quarters’

Members of the state Legislative Council have alleged that the Rs 9-crore makeover of the residential quarters of officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) was done at the expense of a patch of mangroves.

Members of the state Legislative Council have alleged that the Rs 9-crore makeover of the residential quarters of officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) was done at the expense of a patch of mangroves.

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The legislators claimed a walking track in the locality was created by hacking mangroves.

“MMRDA chief Ratnakar Gaikwad occupies one of the quarters and all this was done without permissions. It goes against the Supreme Court order that mangroves are protected forest areas,” Shiv Sena legislator Kiran Pawaskar said in the Legislative Council on Friday.

Pawaskar raised the issue of large tracts of mangroves being hacked along a 14-km stretch from Bandra-Kurla Complex to Manori.

“As far as the MMRDA quarters are concerned, we will investigate the matter,” said Minister of State for Environment Sachin Ahir.

Joint Director, MMRDA, Dilip Kawatkar denied that mangroves were hacked.

“All the construction took place only after taking permissions. We have not hacked any mangroves,” he said on behalf of the MMRDA.

Ahir added that the divisional commissioner of Konkan region has been made in charge of looking at cases related to mangrove conservation and he is supposed to submit monthly reports to the Supreme Court based on which action is taken.

The Home department has directed deputy police commissioners to take action on those destroying mangroves.