The Maharashtra Forest Department has written to district collectors and civic officials from Mumbai asking for the transfer of mangrove forests in Mumbai starting from Dharavi until the estuary situated at Mithi river along the Arabian Sea.
Authorities believe that illegal dumping of debris and land encroachments are threatening the wellbeing of the mangroves and has thus requested the handing over of 184.87 hectares of forests to the Forest Department for better conservation and protection. The requests were sent to district collectors as well as civic body officials in the city.
Speaking on the request for transfer of the mangroves, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Mangrove Cell), Virendra Tiwari said “This is the first correspondence by us in 29 years based on directions issued by the Bombay high court (HC) in 2018. It took us some time to study the area’s expanse and coordinates before making the transfer request.”
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“It is essential to protect this patch from encroachments, curtail developmental pressures and other allied threats to mangrove trees that act as a natural barrier against flooding at the mouth of the Mithi river,” he added.
In March 1991, the region was categorized under protected forests as per the Indian Forest Act of 1927. In September 2018, the High Court had asked all state agencies situated along the Konkan coast to transfer mangroves to the Forest Department. However, it is said that around 2,000 hectares of the mangroves are yet to be handed over to the Forest Department.
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