Mumbai News: Forest Department Soon To Launch Dedicated Website On Mangrove Destruction And Plantation Data

Maharashtra will soon have a dedicated website giving all the details pertaining to projects involving the destruction, cutting or affecting mangroves. The Bombay High Court recently directed the Forest Division, Mangroves Cell to create the said website. Forest Department officials have started the work and the website will be launched shortly. The directions came during the hearing of a BMC executed Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) project on the Poisar River in Kandivali, which passes through forest land and against which 100 mangroves will be planted.

“More details on the website are expected on August 13, during the hearing on mangrove transplantations affected by the Thane-Bhiwandi metro project. The Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG) was asked to submit its site report,” a member of BEAG said.

Bombay High Court Directs Creation of Mangrove Data Website

The environmentalists welcomed the HC directions, stating that the mangrove plantation and survival rate is very poor, and a dedicated website will give some accountability. Debi Goenka from Conservation Action Trust said, “It is important to bring into the public domain the information on the destruction of green cover for various infrastructure projects. For several projects, mangrove plantation has been promised twice, thrice the amount of destruction; however, there are projects where the mangrove cell has not even started the transplantation. While at places where the plantation has been done, the survival rate is poor.”

Website to Detail Mangrove Impact of Infrastructure Projects

Anil Pandit from BEAG said, “For some projects like BMC’s STP and MMRDA’s Thane-Bhiwandi metro line, the mangrove cell has identified the land parcels where the mangrove plantation will be done. However, the transplantation has not started yet. There are several projects in Mumbai where large-scale mangrove land has been affected for various projects.”

“The Bombay High Court judge, during a recent hearing, questioned the number of mangrove transplantations done, following which the Forest department was directed to create a website dedicated to mangrove plantations against the green cover used for infrastructure projects. It is a welcoming move. The citizens should know about the environmental damage and data on compensatory plantations,” Pandit added.

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Focus on Sewage Treatment Plant Project Affecting Poisar River Mangroves

Regarding the 100 mangrove plantations for the STP project on the Poisar river, the HC said, “We expect the Forest Division, Mangroves Cell to upload the details of this project on the said website as soon as the same is launched.”

The BMC has planned the 2 MLD capacity STP No. 9 project on the Poisar River at Laljipada, Sanjay Nagar, Kandivali West. The project is part of the conservation and beautification of the Poisar River Ecosystem. The pipeline for the project passes through 0.1814 ha. forest area.