‘Protect wetlands in Navi Mumbai’

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With destruction of wetlands in Navi Mumbai going unchecked, environmentalists have appealed to the Bombay High Court-appointed wetlands committee to intervene and save biodiversity.

NatConnect Foundation director BN Kumar, who sent separate complaints to the wetland committee and CM Uddhav Thackeray, said that wetlands in the region are home to several species of birds. "It is sad to see these wetlands coming under attack in a systematic manner," he said.

According to a press release issued by NGO NatConnect Foundation, the CM has already asked Principal Environment Secretary Manisha Patankar Mhaiskar to look into the complaints of construction debris on the edge of NRI Wetlands at Sector-60, Nerul.

"The wetland near Sanjivani School and LM Hostel at Sector 19 in Kharghar has also been targeted by the debris mafia for quite some time with officials not doing anything about it," said activist Naresh Chandra Singh.

Despite a series of complaints, there is no official intervention to protect these wetlands, the status of which has been confirmed by even a Bombay High Court judgment, Sunil Agrawal of Save Navi Mumbai Environment, said.