Earth Day bugle - Mangroves, wetlands matter for Mumbai

In an Earth Day bugle, we, city-based environmentalists would like to caution the government and urban planners against the disastrous effects of playing with the nature with projects such as the Navi Mumbai SEZ and Bullet Train.

We also call for stepping up citizen vigil to protect mangroves, wetlands and hills in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Aligning with the UN-driven Earth Day being observed digitally in view of the prevailing corona crisis, we - NatConnect Foundation and Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan - launch this social media communication that figures in the Earth Day calendar under Conservation.

As regards the Bullet Train project, the official information obtained by NatConnect Foundation under the RTI Act shows that the construction will wreak havoc with the entire bio-diversity of the MMR as a number of wild life will be displaced. According to Mangrove Society of India (MSI) report, 11 types of mangrove species, the habitat of 177 species of resident and migratory birds, otters, turtles, fish, crabs, oysters, wild boar, monkeys, flying fox, fishing cats, civets, mongoose, wild cats etc. which frequent the mangroves for feeding and shelter will all be directly affected. The project threatens at least 32,000 mangroves – over thrice the size of Azad Maidan.

The burial of wetlands in Uran has already led to the seasonal migratory birds such as flamingos flocking alternative destinations like Talawe wetland in Navi Mumbai in unusually large numbers.

The various project proponents and their contractors could find the on-going lockdown period and the absence of official surveillance as an opportunity to continue with their destruction of nature. The impact on bio-diversity due to the reckless burial of wetlands and blocking of free flow of tidal waters in eco-sensitive Uran region across Mumbai harbour is already felt.

The saline water has begun to flood paddy fields and low lying villages. Local fishing community too lost their fishing zones to infrastructure projects. This is the direct impact of the absence of environment surveillance during the last Lok Sabha poll when the officials were away on poll duty.

Despite the directives from the High Court appointed Mangrove committee, tidal water flow to the area is being restricted with Panje wetland going dry off and on. Water has to be constant for the bird food such as algae to grow and this is being cruelly denied to flamingos.

While the large number of pink birds flocking Talawe is a feast to the eyes of the bird watchers, the flamingos’ absence at Panje and other places spells doom for the bio-diversity of eco-sensitive Uran.

We also caution the government against the destruction of natural wetlands in Uran as birds which used to visit the region would be compelled to find another destination and that will be detrimental to aircraft movement at the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport.

Despite the Bombay High Court appointed wetlands committee orders to restore the wetlands at Pagote and Bhendkhal in Uran, CIDCO has not taken any action saying that the areas have been handed over to a private conglomerate long ago. The FIR filed against NMSEZ has also just remained on paper. Interestingly, CIDCO is a 26% stake holder in NMSEZ. The large private company has entered into an MoU with NMSEZ to develop an integrated industrial township.

BNHS had already cautioned the government that the destruction of the destination of migratory birds could affect the flights to and out of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). As construction continued on the wetlands, NatConnect Foundation and Shree Ekvira Aai Pratishtan have taken it up Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PMO has referred the issue to a senior official to examine it.

We also calle for careful examination of the MMRDA plans to expand the MMR and not to repeat the past mistakes of rapid urbanisation of Kalyan-Dombivili and Navi Mumbai. The disappearance of mudflats, scrapping of river regulatory zone, apart from destruction of mangroves and wetlands have already led to massive floods during the last monsoon.

B N Kumar – Director, NatConnect Foundation

Nandakumar Pawar – Head, Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan