As debris piles up around mangroves, protection orders and complaints fail to translate into ground action
The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu. It has been alleged that debris is being dumped around mangroves in the Ulwe area at the Navi Mumbai end of the 21.8-km structure, which was inaugurated in 2024. File pic/Rane Ashish
While Mumbai celebrates the engineering marvel of the Atal Setu, a disturbing reality is unfolding in full public view beneath it, where mangroves near Ulwe are allegedly being buried under debris, even as thousands of commuters pass overhead every day.
The core issue —administrative deadlock
>> CIDCO has not transferred mangroves to the Forest Department despite court deadlines
>> The Forest Department claims it cannot act without jurisdiction
>> MMRDA now controls the Atal Setu stretch
Result: Overlapping authorities, no enforcement
Why this matters
Mangroves act as natural flood barriers, protect against storm surges and tidal flooding, support marine biodiversity and fisheries, and are recognised as eco-sensitive zones by the Bombay High Court
What is being seen
>> Mangrove patches near Ulwe gaothan visibly turning from green to grey
>> Alleged dumping of debris using heavy machinery in an open, high-visibility zone
>> Activity taking place right below a landmark infrastructure project
Voices from the ground
>> “This is nothing but a daylight murder of mangroves,” Sunil Agarwal, environmental activist.
>> “The main problem is that CIDCO has not handed over the mangroves to the Forest Department despite numerous deadlines set by the Bombay High Court. The fence itself is eating the crops, and as expected, nothing happens,” Sunil added.
>> “Everyone is passing the buck to each other. The Forest Department says the land has not been transferred to us by CIDCO. There is no use sending correspondence to CIDCO as they don’t reply. And now the Atal Setu stretch is under MMRDA,” said Advocate Pradeep Patole.
Complaint tracker
Location: Ulwe gaothan near the bridge entry
Filed: March 28, 2026
Complaint ID: 1900
Platform: Mangrove Suraksha App
Status: Acknowledged
Ground action: Not visible
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