‘Who is responsible for Navi Mumbai’s mangroves?’

The debris that has been dumped on the mangroves at Kharghar

A Navi Mumbai-based green activist has alleged that the police refused to entertain a complaint from Forest Department officials against the dumping of debris on mangroves in Kharghar. They asked them to take up the issue with revenue officials. B N Kumar, who is the director of NGO NatConnect Foundation, citing a WhatsApp message exchange with sub-divisional officer Rahul Mundake, said the revenue officials, on their part, pointed the finger at CIDCO, since the mangrove zone falls under the city planner. This passing-the-buck game, environmentalists say, is only making nature suffer.

"The net result is that mangrove protection and conservation continue to be neglected despite the Bombay High Court ruling and subsequent orders by the court-appointed Mangrove Committee and the state government," Kumar said. Under the Environment Protection Act, powers to file cases are vested with only the environment secretary, district collector, state Pollution Control Board and the Revenue Department's sub-divisional officer.

Also read: ‘What are syringes, bottles doing inside mangroves in Navi Mumbai?'

Inspection done, but...

Kumar added, "The Kharghar episode started with bird expert Tarang Sarin complaining to the Forest Department and other officials about the dumping of debris at Kharghar's sector-25, following which a spot inspection was done. Forest Department's Vashi zonal officer approached the Kharghar police, but a senior inspector refused to register the complaint saying the SDO should file the FIR." According to Kumar, subsequently S L Manzare, the divisional forest officer, Mangrove Cell, Navi Mumbai, wrote to the revenue sub-divisional officer (SDO) requesting him to take appropriate action.

Manzare pointed out that the mangrove zone falls under CIDCO's jurisdiction. A circular issued by the Revenue and Forest Department in December 2019, following the Bombay HC ruling, mentions that the responsibility of ensuring mangrove safety is with the agency that owns the area. The circular on a government decision to this effect was signed by Virendra Tiwari, then additional chief principal conservator of forests at Mantralaya. Tiwari, incidentally, heads the Mangrove Cell now. As per this circular, Revenue SDO Mundake pointed out that CIDCO could take action and not the Revenue Department.

"Forest and revenue officials' letters expose CIDCO's tall claims that it has handed over all mangroves under its jurisdiction to the Forest Department," said Kumar, who has written a new letter to the CM and the mangrove committee calling for action. "Despite the Mangrove Committee's instructions to all district collectors to ensure transfer of mangroves to the Forest Department, we do not see any ground action," said Kharghar activist Jyoti Nadkarni.

What's CIDCO doing?

CIDCO Managing Director Dr Sanjay Mukherjee tweeted recently that the process of handing over the mangroves under the agency in Navi Mumbai to the Forest Department was completed, but NatConnect questioned this.

"As per Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), there is a huge stretch of 180-hectares mangroves on the Kharghar side of Panvel creek, while CIDCO listed only 18 hectares for transfer. This is causing all round destruction and in the passing the buck game, nature has been suffering and no one cares," Kharghar Hill and Wetland Group convenor Nareshchandra Singh said. Against this backdrop, NatConnect has requested the CM to step in as he spoke of the need to save the sea plants to save the coast.

SDO Mundake was unavailable for comment. "We have told the complainant that based on the investigation and FIR that will be registered by the Revenue Department, the police will register an FIR," said Senior Inspector Sandeepan Shinde of Kharghar police station.