Mumbai: Activist warns of mangrove destruction on CIDCO land

The road that has been built after allegedly cutting mangroves at Taloja

Mangroves are being destroyed with impunity on CIDCO land at Taloja, a city-based environmentalist has alleged, insisting continued environmental violations in areas under the jurisdiction of the development body.

At Taloja Phata, a kilometre-long road has been made deep into the mangroves, according to Stalin D, who has written to the Mangroves Cell of the forest department seeking concrete action.

Stalin said the flow of tidal water has been blocked to the mangroves resulting in the death of many of the well-entrenched trees. He has shared GPS-tagged photos with the Cell to back his claims.

"Despite clear instructions from the Mangroves Protection Committee and the Wetlands Grievance Redressal Committee directing project proponents to display boards at the sites explaining details of the work undertaken, nothing is done. Now this will be another case which will go into the records with no restoration or action taken," reads Stalin's letter, a copy which is with this newspaper.

The environmentalist wondered why despite a 2005 order of the Bombay High Court, CIDCO has not handed over all mangroves patches in its possession to the Forest Department. "Why are orders of the Divisional Commissioner Konkan region being ignored by CIDCO?" asks the letter.

Stalin also said environment lovers find it "intriguing" that government officials passing by the area fail to spot the blatant violations. He also expressed apprehensions about the government stepping in to stop the alleged destruction.

"Why is the revenue department scared to file FIRs against CIDCO for CRZ [coastal regulation zone] violations and contempt of court? Now as usual, a site visit will be ordered and done after two months, a report made, FIR filed against unknown persons and investigation continue endlessly. Please do something which can be called visible deterrent legal action," added his letter. CIDCO's Environment Officer Pramod Patil told mid-day, "I will have to look into the issue and only then I can comment."

2005
Year when HC ordered state control of CIDCO mangroves