Mumbai’s mangrove conservation: Environmentalists voice concerns against government apathy

Having undergone rapid urbanisation Mumbai is attempting to salvage its shrunken green cover especially its mangroves While the firstofitskind mangrove park in Gorai was opened to the public last year another upcoming park in Dahisar is slated for completion in mid2024The 200acre haven in Dahisar will reportedly blend environmental protection with sustainable tourism and will feature boardwalks a nature interpretation centre a suspended glass bridge and kayak trailsThe objective of creating this park is not limited to recreational purposes but for it to be a conservation beacon and educational centre to make the public aware of why it is crucial to conserve mangrovesWhy are mangroves significantThe mangroves nestled along the cityrsquos coastline are lush green belts of gnarled trees that safeguard the shores Mumbaibased environmentalist Zoru Bhathena in a conversation with midday highlighted that the mangroves are a natural barrier against coastal erosionldquoMangrove is important for the area around us like any other tree but particularly being in the coastal areas it helps protect the coast It is a better cleaner of the environmentrdquo Zoru remarkedAlso Read Mumbai hawkers stalled hope BMCs Town Vending Committee quagmireBN Kumar of Nat Connect said that aside from the protective function Mumbairsquos mangroves are biodiversity hotspots ldquoThe mangroves support a lot of biodiversity and are a space breeding space for aquatic liferdquoKumar added that mangroves are also crucial for carbon sequestration The mangroves suck carbon dioxide and store them in their roots he saidAside from its protective function the mangroves in Mumbai are biodiversity hotspots brimming with life These healthy ecosystems provide a habitat for a varied range of flora and fauna acting as nurseries for fish crustaceans and other aquatic animals Rare and endangered species seek sanctuary in these lush havens making them critical to the regions overall ecological balanceNGOs and communities contribute towards the conservationRecognising the importance of these mangrove ecosystems concerted attempts to maintain and safeguard them have been launched Government measures along with the dedicated work of local NGOs and community groups have concentrated on the preservation of these fragile ecosystemsLocal community groups and nongovernmental organisations NGOs have emerged as champions of mangrove conservation Community participation awareness campaigns and handson conservation activities such as cleanup drives are all part of their grassroots efforts These efforts not only protect mangroves but also allow people to take control of their natural heritageConservation Action Trust an NGO based in Mumbai is one of the organisations contributing to safeguarding Mumbais mangroves When quizzed about their involvement in safeguarding the mangroves Debi Goenka the executive trustee of CAT said ldquoCAT is actively ensuring that the Bombay High Court Judgement is implemented in letter and spirit We are continuously following this up with the forest department and other agencies involvedrdquoResponding to a query on key initiatives undertaken by the organisation he said ldquoBased on our observations and site visits and also complaints sent to us by citizens we file complaints with all the relevant officers and also follow up regarding the action takenrdquoProvisions safeguarding mangroves in MaharashtraIt is pertinent to note that mangroves are protected by various union and state laws and notifications apart from court ordersMaharashtra Private Forest Act 1975 empowers the government to take over and manage private forests which includes mangroves as well for conservation Meanwhile the Maharashtra Felling of Trees Regulation Act regulates the felling of trees including mangrovesAdditionally the Maharashtra Forest Rules of 2014 provide detailed regulations for the management of forests including mangroves in Maharashtra They address issues like protection utilisation and community involvementApart from these three laws the judicial orders of the Bombay High Court directing the Maharashtra government to protect mangroves and declare them as forests aid in the conservation of the mangrovesGovt destroys mangroves the mostAlthough the Maharashtra government has implemented policies and regulations aimed at safeguarding Mumbairsquos mangroves Bhathena remarked that the government itself destroys the trees and that it does so with the courtsrsquo sanctionldquoMangroves are protected by law and by Bombay HC orders Unfortunately the government itself cuts the maximum number of mangroves in the name of various infrastructural projects We have moved to the court in some of these issues The biggest destructor of the mangroves in Mumbai is the government with the permission of the court This is the unfortunate problemrdquo Bhathena saidHe said the courts are helpful to an extent since their knowledge of engineering technicalities is limitedldquoThe courts donrsquot have engineering knowhow which does not make it easy for them to pull up the government as to why they are insistent on the projectrsquos execution in a certain way As laymen our knowledge of the knowhow is limited toordquo Zoru said adding ldquoSolutions to preserve mangroves and execute the project can be devised unfortunately it is not presented in the courtrdquoKumar said although the government acknowledges the importance of mangrove conservation it only does lip service Programs like Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats amp Tangible Incomes MISHTI were introduced but the pace of progress is slow he remarked He said there has been excessive loss of mangroves in ecologically sensitive zones in Mumbai and the metropolitan region including Navi Mumbai and added ldquoWhen the permission is given to cut mangroves no one comes and conducts an audit like a CAG audit Therersquos no way of knowing if an entity has cut 1000 trees instead of sanctioned 100rdquoHe also pointed out that the Bombay HC has constituted a Mangrove committee but the officials donrsquot attend these meetings The committee has also been lackadaisical in dealing with the Envrionment Department officialsrsquo absence he added He said that official neglect and public apathy is a recipe for disasterMangrove Cell is a toothless bodyApart from the aforementioned laws the Maharashtra government set up a Mangrove Cell in 2012 that has been tasked with the conservation of mangroves The government has also set up an autonomous body under the Maharashtra Revenue and Forests Department viz Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation of Maharashtra Mangrove Foundation which was established to recruit the necessary skill sets and operational flexibility to implement conservation programmes across Maharashtras coastal regionsWhen asked about the Mangrove Cell Bhathena noted that it was a toothless agency Elaborating on his remark he said ldquoMangroves grow in the coastal regions but all the regions do not come under the purview of the Cell Although they are tasked with looking after mangroves the landrsquos ownership creates a problem Some of the land may be owned by either the state or union governments or some may belong to the civic agency Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and some to private entities which creates complicationsrdquoHe added that despite having a dedicated Cell they are not empowered to take action The environmentalist said that the Mangrove Cell themselves ldquohave restrictions that they are only able to help in case of private complaintsrdquo Goenka responding to the query stated that they noticed the previous Heads of the Mangrove Cell ldquowere not proactive when it came to protecting mangrovesrdquo and added that there was ldquotoo much redtapismrdquoldquoThe current Head of the Mangrove Cell is more proactive but there is a great lacuna when it comes to action in the field We have recently applied to the Bombay High Court to draw its attention to the delays and nonimplementation of its judgementrdquo Goenka saidWhos destroying mangrovesWhen asked about the support or resources the NGOs require from the government to enhance conservation activities Debi said ldquoWhat we need are committed officers in the Mangroves Cell who will proactively take steps to protect and enhance the mangrove cover in Maharashtra Mangrove protection cannot work within the four walls of an airconditioned officerdquoBhathena remarked that the government empowers the Mangrove Cell to not just look after and protect mangroves but also be enabled by law to take action against offendersMeanwhile Kumar suggested that instead of aiding NGOs and communities with resources if they enforce the regulations properly it would be good