Not one offender has gone to jail: activist

Between 2005 and 2012, 595 complaints have been registered with the commissioner of mangroves regarding destruction of mangroves in areas such as Kandivli, Malad, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, Mulund, Thane, Mumbra, Diva and Kalwa.

Between 2005 and 2012, 595 complaints have been registered with the commissioner of mangroves regarding destruction of mangroves in areas such as Kandivli, Malad, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, Mulund, Thane, Mumbra, Diva and Kalwa.

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A peek at the complaints and action-taken report reveals that in a majority of the cases, the circle officer's site inspection report is pending.

"Not a single offender has gone to jail or been penalised and cases are filed against missing or unknown persons," said Stalin D, an environmentalist with Vanashakti. "One reason for inaction is because FIRs are not filed by the collector who is a gazetted officer. An FIR filed by the circle officer who conducts the site visit has no validity."

Environmentalists feel the stringent Coastal Regulation Zone law is more complete since it offers protection to the entire "wetland ecosystem" that includes mangroves and mudflats, which are feeding and congregating grounds for birds.

"There is no need for a separate law or numerous committees for mangroves. If the state follows the CRZ Rules, all mangroves along the coastline will be taken care of," said Stalin. "The 2005 HC order (banning construction and dumping within 50m of mangroves) was meant to be an additional cover for mangroves but it has now become the focus."

In the absence of the government's inaction to protect mangroves, constant pressure from the civil society is the only way authorities are being kept on their toes.