Forest department gives green signal for mangrove parks

Every conservationist dreams about a walkthrough in the vast mangroves wetland in the city and Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMR This dream may soon become a reality as the state forest department has agreed to go ahead with a proposal for mangrove parks keeping in view the guidelines issued by the High Court Giving this assurance in the state Assembly Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that the cityrsquos mangrove cover had increased manifold in the past 15 yearsForest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that around 400 hutments on protected mangrove land would be removed and that the mangrove area has increased because of efforts to remove encroachments File pic for representationThe minister was responding to a calling attention notice from Shiv Senarsquos Sada Sarvankar and others The legislators claimed mangrove cover had reduced because of illegal felling and dumping of construction materialBJPrsquos Ashish Shelar asked the minister if his department would approve the mangrove parks proposed by Debi Goenka head Conservation Action Trust a nonprofit organisation Mungantiwar said he was all for such parks and that he would go ahead with the proposal in tune with the directives of the High Court The wetland park was designed in 2007 on the lines of the Mai Po Wetland Park in Hong Kong and approved in 2009 by the government However it has remained on paper since then Another wetland park planned at Nerul in Navi Mumbai was scrapped in 2011Mungantiwar claimed that the cityrsquos mangrove cover had increased from 3400 hectares in 1999 to 5776 hectares in 2015 4001 hectares government land and 1775 hectares private land The mangrove area in the city was 4500 hectares last year Mungantiwar said this area could increase because of consistent efforts to remove encroachments on the wetland ldquoSome 400 hutments on protected mangrove area will be removed after the monsoonrdquo he said adding that the statecontrolled Mangrove Foundation was doing great work in affected areas of the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport ldquoThe foundation will work in other areas as wellrdquo he saidThe minister also agreed to Shelarrsquos suggestion that the protected mangrove land be declared open space in the cityrsquos Development Plan which is being revised ldquoWe are in the process of fencing mangrove land The work will also offer employment to the local peoplerdquo the minister said adding that the government would ask the civic body to provide a separate piece of land for dumping construction materialWin winUnaware if his idea may finally get the statersquos approval Debi Goenka told midday that the mangrove parks would be a winwin situation for Mumbai and Navi Mumbai ldquoWe have plans in place for both parks and what we need is the final push from the forest departmentrdquo he saidAs per Conservation Action Trustrsquos design Mumbairsquos park will stretch between Kanjurmarg and Airoli Bridge and Navi Mumbairsquos will be on a huge patch of wetland along Palm Beach Road in KhargharGoenka said former BMC commissioner Sitaram Kunte had promised to fund the city project after the trust lost corporate sponsorship in view of inordinate delaysldquoThis is what I had last heard And now Irsquom hearing from you midday that the new government is willing to take it forwardrdquo he saidThe activist said the primary condition for the parks if constructed by state agencies would be to not harm the mangrove habitat ldquoIrsquom a petitioner in the court cases related to mangrove protection and conservation and hence I would like to ensure that no damage is caused to the ecosystemrdquoStalin Dayanand head of nonprofit organisation Vanashakti said such parks are crucial for conserving biodiversity ldquoItrsquos the need of the hour because wersquore not doing anything substantial to protect or encourage people in this regard Wetland projects would showcase our natural wealth and the city would be proud of its mangrove parksrdquo5776 hectaresMangrove cover in the city this year as per Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar4500hectaresMangrove cover in the city last year as per the Forest Minister