Eight years after BMC’s ecological survey for Gargai dam, the forest department seeks recount, saying years have lapsed
Tansa is one of the lakes that supply water to the city. File pic
The BMC has suffered a setback as the forest department has suggested conducting a fresh survey of trees in the Tansa sanctuary that would be submerged under the proposed Gargai dam. The earlier survey, conducted almost eight years ago, had estimated that around four lakh trees would be submerged. The forest officials also suggested that the corporation look for alternatives or locations outside the sanctuary to improve the city’s water supply.
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The civic body has been trying for over a decade to start the long-pending Gargai Dam project, which could add around 440 million litres per day to the current supply of 3,850 MLD. The city now needs more than 4,500 MLD of water, with this requirement expected to reach 5,000 MLD in the next few years. The corporation is eagerly pursuing the project, which was side-lined by the Uddhav Thackeray government due to the potential impact on over four lakh trees inside the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary. Following a change in state government, the BMC renewed its efforts on the Gargai project.
Tansa is one of the lakes that supply water to the city. File pic
While the BMC received permission from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, they have yet to secure clearance from the Ministry of Wildlife, which requires primary approval from the state forest department. The BMC's proposal includes compensatory afforestation in Chandrapur and claims a reduction in the number of affected trees. They assured that all transplanted trees would remain within a 5-kilometre radius, boasting a survival rate of over 95 per cent.
“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, so the number of affected trees has now decreased from 4,28,000 to 2,91,000,” said an official.
Despite these assurances, there has been no progress in the clearance process. Now, the forest officials have asked the corporation to conduct a fresh survey of the trees. Akshay Gajbhiye, deputy conservator of forests in Thane, said, “The study of trees that would be submerged due to the proposed Gargai dam was conducted in 2016. It has been eight years now, and the number of trees might have changed. In addition, the location of the dam has also changed. So there is a need to conduct a fresh survey for the enumeration of trees.”
“The discussion about the trees is in its early stages, and we cannot ascertain the number of days or months required for the counting, but we will certainly focus on the accuracy of the number as it is far more important from the forest point of view. Though we are looking for LiDAR or remote sensing sensors at a few portions to reconfirm the counting of trees, it won’t be a primary method. We will do physical counting, and the survey will be a joint activity of the forest department and the BMC,” explained Gajbhiye.
He also emphasised the suggestion given by the forest department to the BMC. “We have been continuously suggesting the corporation look for some other alternatives or locations outside any sanctuary to improve the city's water stock, as the area proposed for the dam is very crucial for the environment,” said Gajbhiye. He added that this suggestion has been made almost every time during meetings with BMC officials.
A senior officer from the BMC said, “We have been pursuing the matter almost daily and are ready to conduct a survey of trees as suggested by the forest department. We also sent them a letter to allocate the land in Chandrapur for compensatory afforestation. We submit all the paperwork as and when asked by the department, but the pace to clear the proposal is not in our hands.”
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