Mad about Mangroves

Despite protecting the city from cyclones and storms, Mumbai's mangroves risk being wiped out

A few million yearsago, 114 millionto be precise,the trees in themountains startedwalkingtowards the sea. The pioneersperished, as the seawas too saline for them.

Their descendants slowlyadapted to thrive in thesehostile conditions, developingspecial roots with holes thatrose from the seawater likeperiscopes so that they couldbreathe. Clinging roots camedown from the stem, preventingthem from gettingwashed away by the tidalwaves, and saline-excretingglands removed sea salt fromtheir bodies. These came tobe known as mangroves.With as many as 4500 sqkms of these tidal forests liningIndia's coast, it's blessedwith a line of defense againststorms and tsunamis. In fact,India, along with Bangladesh,has the richest mangroves inthe world; with Sunderbansbeing the largest.

There are over 16 species ofmangroves in India like theRed Mangrove, GreyMangrove and MangroveApple. A fragile eco-systemsubsists here: fish, amphibians,reptiles, birds, butterflies,and even mammals like tigers.

On the western banks ofThane Creek, lie the city'slast surviving pristine mangroves:the GodrejMangroves. Protected by theGodrej Trust since 1985, thisforms the second lung of ourcity after Sanjay GandhiNational Park in Borivli.

A walk with MayaMahajan, the manager ofthese mangroves, was my initiationinto this unique world.Soon after we entered theprotected area, we were welcomedby a wild boar. Mayaexplained that in this mangrovealone, they have counted206 species of birds, 30species of reptiles and 76species of butterflies. Not tomention the jackals, wildboars and mongoose.

The view from the watchtowerwas of endless mangroveson the west abruptlystopped by a row of skyscrapersin the distance. Maya toldme the difficulty of constantlypatrolling this vast stretchand about the passion andcommitment required torestore degraded.

Capable of surviving inseawater polluted by sewageand effluents, these mangrovespurify water andrelease copious quantities ofoxygen into the air. TheSoonabai Godrej Trustresearches mangrove ecology,and imparts knowledgethrough tours, film screeningsand seminars.

My newfound love took meto the endangered mangrovesof Dahisar and Airoli, and toNavi Mumbai, where a walkingtrack has been laid alonga winding stretch of densemangroves. I even caught aglimpse of the flamingos thathave landed here this year,after the reckless filling ofwetlands in Uran renderedthem homeless. Then I travelledalong the Konkancoastal stretch, where I foundmangroves among estuaries,bays and creeks, all the wayup to Goa, which has themost photogenic mangrovesof them all at the Salim AliSanctuary in Chorao.

A recent newspaper reporttalked of builders cutting offseawater that flows intothese forests, to strangulatethem and claim the land. Iwonder if the GodrejMangroves will soon becomethe solitary green island ofmangroves floating in a diabolicsea teeming with landsharks.I hope not.

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