Committee to set up control room to protect mangroves in MMR

Mangrove destruction at Pagote under NMSEZ

In a series of major initiatives, the Bombay High Court-appointed mangrove committee has decided to set up a centralised control room, install CCTV cameras, and periodic satellite photography to monitor the status of the tidal plants.

As per the High Court verdict to conserve the mangroves, the centralised control room was expected and hence the Committee chairman issued directions to that effect, the minutes of the last meeting of the mangrove committee meeting show.

The meeting was held on June 30 at Konkan Bhavan and the minutes were recently uploaded.

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Green groups NatConnect Foundation and Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan have been demanding for a long time for a CCTV network monitoring of the mangroves and connecting it to a centralised control room.

"We have also suggested a rapid action force on the lines of the anti-riot police force to be deployed to take immediate action, particularly against the debris mafia which has been destroying the mangroves in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)," said NatConnect director B N Kumar.

"The existing force is inadequate to check the menace," Kumar said and adding that the group's suggestion has been pending with the Home Ministry at the instance of the CMO.

"The centralised control room, along with an independent secretariat, as planned by the Mangrove Committee, will help in speedily resolving complaints," said a committee member.

Mumbai Mangrove Cell will handle this work till further orders. The Committee has also directed the officials to monitor the mangroves across the State's coastline through high-resolution satellite images every six months and bring it to the panel's notice if any discrepancies are noticed.

The Committee chairman also called for setting up a CCTV network to keep an eye on anti-social elements harming the mangroves and directed collectors, Mangrove Cell and civic officials to take appropriate steps.

Meanwhile, NatConnect said the forest department's proposal for CCTV cameras at mangrove forests has remained on paper for quite some time. As a result, the debris mafia continued to dump truckloads of construction waste on mangroves at several places such as Vashi, Ulwe, Uran, Kharghar and Uran.

The mangrove committee also set up district-wise dedicated toll-free telephone systems for the convenience of the people to complain about mangrove destruction.

The Chairman directed all coastal district collectors to prepare a list of sensitive mangrove sites and keep a close vigil on them with the help of security guards and police.