Navi Mumbai / Uran: Maharashtra Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray, has asked the environment department to look into the alleged destruction of Uran wetlands, responding to the the hue and cry of environmentalists in the area.
Responding promptly to the situation, Thackeray has asked the authority to look into the destruction of mangroves and wetlands in Uran, namely at Pagote, Bhendkhal and Panje. The administration had already lodged police cases against unidentified persons under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
Also, Panje is marked as a marshy land belonging to the state government in the official records of land acquisition by the revenue department. It has been a fishing site for locals since ages. Surprisingly, CIDCO had recently announced that Panje wetland had been transferred to a private corporate firm in the year 2004. An RTI application had further revealed that parts of Panje wetlands had been leased to the NMSEZ.
The flow of creek water to Panje had been blocked turning it into a dry land and even a huge concrete wall was erected. The Mangrove and Wetlands committees appointed by the high court had asked CIDCO to ensure the flow of water to the wetland and also to protect Panje as it had all the characteristics of a wetland.
The wetland committee had asked CIDCO to restore Bhendkhal wetland and remove the landfill but nothing had been done till now.
While this continues, there is an ongoing crisis at Seawoods where environmentalists are trying hard to save the wetlands, where the development authority plans to construct a Golf Course Integrated Project.
Now environmentalists and locals hope that CM Uddhav Thackeray understands the situation and directs the concerned authorities to stop the exploitation of the wetlands for financial pursuits.
Last Updated on February 23, 2020 by lp@admin
