Mumbai: NGO Vanashakti install mesh to prevent plastic from choking mangroves at Bhandup pumping station

The net set up by Vanashakti at the mouth of the stormwater drain at the Bhandup pumping station

To prevent plastic waste from washing into creeks, mangrove areas and the sea, the NGO Vanashakti is installing nets to trap garbage.

On a pilot basis, one such net was set up on Thursday at the mouth of the stormwater drain that empties into the mangroves at Bhandup pumping station near Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary.

A day after the installation, the measure seemed to be a success. Experts feel that if this cost-effective measure is implemented across the city and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), huge amounts of plastic and other waste will be held back from polluting water bodies and the sea.

Beach and mangrove clean-up drives are undertaken regularly at Versova beach, Dadar beach, Bandra Bandstand, Dahisar, Gorai, Malad, Marve and mangrove areas in Navi Mumbai. Some environmental activists have warned that this is not enough.

In January 2018, Vanashakti filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), suggesting that nets be installed at the ends of stormwater drains and creeks to prevent plastic waste from drifting into the sea. An NGO had filed a petition against several agencies, including the BMC and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for failing to collect, process and dispose of solid waste properly. The NGT then issued notices to the civic body and the MPCB, along with the other respondents such as the urban development department, environment department and state mangroves cell.

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Green activists and experts have been pointing out that if immediate efforts are not taken to prevent the plastic waste from reaching water, mangroves will continue to choke and marshlands will be filled with non-degradable waste. Saltwater lakes, beaches and wetlands are also being seriously contaminated due to the careless disposal of solid waste, mainly plastic bags.

Environmentalist Stalin D from Vanashakti told mid-day, "Years of cleaning mangroves have not changed the situation on the ground as mangroves continue to be buried under non-degradable trash."

Stating that prevention is always better than cure, he added, "If we can stop the trash from reaching marine zones by trapping it in nets at outfalls, that will be the best solution. The cost of installing and operating these nets is far less than the cost spent on recovering waste in marine zones."

Vanashakti is particularly concerned about the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, a Ramsar site - a wetland spot designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention - that is being severely impacted by the deposit of garbage via stormwater drains.

"The birds and wildlife of the sanctuary get a breather and a clean habitat if nets are installed at outfalls. We have shown it is possible to keep mangroves garbage-free. We request the BMC to take steps to replicate the effort across the city, especially near mangrove areas. The forest department is facing a huge challenge dealing with the municipal waste that is getting trapped in the forests. This is a win-win solution for all," Stalin said.

Recyclers can also take the material from collection points. "As an NGO, we are constrained by funds, so we cannot do this on our own. The government should take this forward in as many areas as possible," the environmentalist said.

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Day in December when the net was installed