'Start mangrove safaris to protect Uran's biodiversity'

Environmental group NatConnect Foundation has requested the Mangrove Foundation to start the safari in Uran based on a women's self-help group in Sindhudurg

An environmental group has called for the creation of a mangrove safari at Uran, run on a cooperative basis, adopting the Sindhudurg self-help group model. A women's self-help group has taken up a mangrove safari and eco-tourism park in Sindhudurg with the help of the Mangrove Foundation and aided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Environmental group NatConnect Foundation has requested the Mangrove Foundation to encourage a similar project in Uran and educate people on conserving them. According to NatConnect Foundation, it has received a positive response from the Mangrove Foundation and its executive director Virendra Tiwari.

"Mangrove safaris do help make people understand the importance of mangroves in protecting the coasts and the environment," he said.

NatConnect Foundation officials feel that if the safari comes up, then school and college students could see the mangroves and it would make a huge difference in terms of preserving the biodiversity. It is also said the mangrove safari and eco-tourism will help local socio-economic development.

"The local fishing community has lost its source of income due to various projects by ONGC, the Navi Mumbai SEZ (NMSEZ) and JNPT. The government has done nothing to rehabilitate or compensate us. The project proponents are preventing us from fishing," said Tukaram Koli of fishing community forum Paaramparik Machhimar Bachao Kruti Samiti. The Foundation has also demanded that the environment and tourism minister, the collector, the local MP and MLAs pool in funds at their disposal and create employment and income generating schemes for the fishing folk.

"It has been officially confirmed that there has been widespread destruction of mangroves and wetlands in eco-sensitive Uran under the guise of infrastructure development. JNPT has been penalized for destroying them for its Container Terminal-4 while the district administration filed FIRs against NMSEZ for burying mangroves and wetlands at Pagote and Bhendkhal in Uran Taluka, " alleged B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation.

Nandakumar Pawar, head of Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan, said mangroves over at least 20 acres, off NH 348, have been killed with the dumping of hundreds of truckloads of debris and earth. "Whoever is responsible for this, however mighty, must be brought to book," he said.

Despite the state government and High Court-appointed mangrove protection and conservation committee ordering transfer of all mangroves to the Forest Department (they are in the jurisdiction of collectors, etc), they have not been handed over so far, Kumar pointed out.

Keep scrolling to read more news

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news