Mumbai: NGO Vanashakti install mesh to prevent plastic from choking mangroves at Bhandup pumping station

To prevent plastic waste from washing into creeks mangrove areas and the sea the NGO Vanashakti is installing nets to trap garbageOn a pilot basis one such net was set up on Thursday at the mouth of the stormwater drain that empties into the mangroves at Bhandup pumping station near Thane Creek Flamingo SanctuaryA day after the installation the measure seemed to be a success Experts feel that if this costeffective measure is implemented across the city and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMR huge amounts of plastic and other waste will be held back from polluting water bodies and the seaBeach and mangrove cleanup drives are undertaken regularly at Versova beach Dadar beach Bandra Bandstand Dahisar Gorai Malad Marve and mangrove areas in Navi Mumbai Some environmental activists have warned that this is not enough In January 2018 Vanashakti filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal NGT suggesting that nets be installed at the ends of stormwater drains and creeks to prevent plastic waste from drifting into the sea An NGO had filed a petition against several agencies including the BMC and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB for failing to collect process and dispose of solid waste properly The NGT then issued notices to the civic body and the MPCB along with the other respondents such as the urban development department environment department and state mangroves cellAlso Read 112 tiger deaths recorded across India this yearGreen activists and experts have been pointing out that if immediate efforts are not taken to prevent the plastic waste from reaching water mangroves will continue to choke and marshlands will be filled with nondegradable waste Saltwater lakes beaches and wetlands are also being seriously contaminated due to the careless disposal of solid waste mainly plastic bagsEnvironmentalist Stalin D from Vanashakti told midday ldquoYears of cleaning mangroves have not changed the situation on the ground as mangroves continue to be buried under nondegradable trashrdquoStating that prevention is always better than cure he added ldquoIf we can stop the trash from reaching marine zones by trapping it in nets at outfalls that will be the best solution The cost of installing and operating these nets is far less than the cost spent on recovering waste in marine zonesrdquoVanashakti is particularly concerned about the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary a Ramsar sitemdasha wetland spot designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Conventionmdashthat is being severely impacted by the deposit of garbage via stormwater drainsldquoThe birds and wildlife of the sanctuary get a breather and a clean habitat if nets are installed at outfalls We have shown it is possible to keep mangroves garbagefree We request the BMC to take steps to replicate the effort across the city especially near mangrove areas The forest department is facing a huge challenge dealing with the municipal waste that is getting trapped in the forests This is a winwin solution for allrdquo Stalin saidRecyclers can also take the material from collection points ldquoAs an NGO we are constrained by funds so we cannot do this on our own The government should take this forward in as many areas as possiblerdquo the environmentalist said29Day in December when the net was installed