Activists stir against Uran mangrove being converted to a parking lot

A file photograph of the mangroves at Navi Mumbai

Navi Mumbai-based activists are outraged that a wetland and mangrove are being allegedly buried to make way for a container parking lot at Khopte in Uran. NatConnect Foundation has sent an urgent email to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde who quickly directed Raigad district collector to look into the issue. Collector Dr Mahendra Kalyankar, who is the acting Konkan divisional commissioner, also heads the High Court appointed mangrove and wetland committees.

Nandakumar Pawar, president of Maharashtra Small Scale Traditional Fish Workers Union, said, "A 150-metre long and 15-metre wide patch has been illegally buried. The mafia, which is responsible for this uses such landfills for parking and collects money, again illegally." NatConnect director BN Kumar claims that in a similar violation earlier at nearby Dhutum, a vast mangrove zone was buried and a huge parking lot was made.

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"It is a sad commentary on the surveillance system in the area as such crimes against mangroves continue despite the environmentalists and local fishing community repeatedly alerting the authorities," Kumar added. Pawar and Kumar expressed the hope that the Collector and the wetland committee would move towards removing the landfill at Khopte. "We sincerely hope that the authorities realise the fact that the fishing community has one last hope of survival in the wetlands of Uran as their channels are being closed with the development of JNPA," Pawar said.