In response to environmental concerns over the increasing threats to mangroves, the Maharashtra government has commissioned a new survey of tidal plants along the state’s coastal area. This move comes as environmental organizations have voiced alarm over the protracted delay in transferring mangroves to the forest department for protection, as ordered by the Bombay High Court.The Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) is currently examining coasts in seven districts, including Sindhdurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, and Palghar. S V Ramarao, chief of the mangrove cell, stated that “the study will aid in understanding the growth of mangroves and assessing their destruction as well.”
MRSAC has earned recognition as one of the premier state centers dedicated to monitoring and managing natural resources. Its website highlights the center’s proficiency in blending remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies to deliver groundbreaking, efficient, and optimal solutions.
Meanwhile, official records reveal that a substantial 2,011.36 hectares of mangrove land have yet to be transferred to the forest department, as mandated by the Bombay High Court order. Thane tops the list with 1,277.58 hectares of mangrove land still pending transfer, according to the minutes of the most recent meeting of the HC-appointed mangrove committee.
B N Kumar, director of NatConnect, emphasized the critical importance of mangrove conservation, equating the 2,011 hectares to the size of approximately 200 Azad Maidans. “However, the minutes of the mangrove committee meeting omitted any mention of the sea forest area awaiting transfer from CIDCO,” Kumar noted.
NatConnect’s inquiry to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) brought to light that over 1,200 hectares of mangrove land remain under CIDCO’s control. Despite the Prime Minister’s ambitious Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI), which aims to explore the potential for mangrove development across 540 sq km in 11 states and two union territories, sea forests continue to be neglected.
The PMO forwarded the complaint to the state government, which subsequently directed the mangrove cell to respond. Nandakumar Pawar, head of the NGO Sagar Shakti, expressed frustration over the lackadaisical approach to mangrove conservation. “Despite repeated directives from the mangrove committee, local authorities remain unresponsive. Appallingly, CIDCO has managed to evade accountability despite holding onto vast tracts of mangrove land,” he stated.
Pawar also criticized the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority for retaining 70 hectares of mangroves under the pretext of future project requirements, dismissing it as “utter nonsense.” He urged JNPA to promptly transfer the mangrove land to the forest department and seek permission from the Bombay High Court if the area is genuinely required.
Maharashtra Launches Fresh Survey of Mangroves Amid Concerns Over Environmental Threats
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