Mumbai: Gargai dam project gets major push for green nod

Gargai dam is proposed to be set up at Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary. Representation pic

With the BMC pushing for the long-dormant Gargai dam project, the prospect of securing environmental clearance for this venture has significantly improved. BMC officials conducted a presentation for Thane forest authorities, who will forward their reports to the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) for clearance.

Furthermore a joint on-site visit by BMC and forest officials is scheduled for the upcoming week. As part of their proposal, the BMC suggested compensatory afforestation in Chandrapur and highlighted a reduction in the number of affected trees, from 4.28 lakh to 2.91 lakh. They assured that all transplanted trees would remain within a 5-kilometre radius, boasting a survival rate of over 95 per cent.

Following a change in the state government, the Gargai project, previously shelved by the Uddhav Thackeray administration will come back was previously reported by mid-day. The BMC submitted a confidential interim report to the Forest Department, saying that constructing a dam would enhance the habitat.

BMC assured that all transplanted trees would remain within a 5-kilometre radius. Representation pic

Work on the project had been progressing before the MVA took office and the COVID-19 lockdown commenced. Originally slated for completion by 2025, the budget for FY 2021-22 only allocated a meagre R3.5 crore for the R4,000-crore project, with no provision in 2022-23. The BMC prioritised the desalination plant due to concerns that the Gargai Dam might negatively impact over 4 lakh trees. However, the Gargai Dam project has now gained significant momentum. "We received permission from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and we are currently awaiting a response from the Ministry of Wildlife," stated a BMC official. "We are now working to obtain NBWL permission, which will depend on the Thane Forest officials' report. We are addressing their inquiries, and a joint site visit is in the works. All necessary permissions and tender processes may take another year and a half, with the dam's construction requiring an additional three years."

A Maharashtra Forest Department officer, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the Gargai Dam project is advancing. The BMC's presentation to forest officials outlined their plans and their commitment to compensate for wildlife loss through afforestation in Chandrapur.

The initial proposal for the Gargai Dam covered 1,100 hectares, impacting 700 hectares and over 4 lakh trees in Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary. In addition, 618 homes would need to be relocated in Palghar. In the latest plan, the dam will affect a total of 814 hectares of land, including 557 hectares of forest land that will be submerged. The BMC asserted that the number of affected trees has now decreased from 4,28,000 to 2,91,000. A senior BMC official said, "The BMC proposed voluntary displacement for villages near the submergence area, which are unaffected by it. Compensatory afforestation is planned in Chandrapur district, adjacent to the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, for which we have already obtained permission."

Notably, researchers, wildlife enthusiasts, and photographers who frequent Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary have spotted the critically endangered ‘Forest Owlet' in the region.