Straight Answers

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Usha kiran,</span><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chairperson, Save Forum and Mangroves Society of India (Mumbai Chapter)On their recent campaign to save the mangroves.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">You had a mangroves march on Wednesday. What are your expectations from it?</span><br /><br />We want to bring to the government''s notice that mangroves are being hacked despite the fact that they come within the Coastal Regulation Zone-1 (CRZ-1). We want the government to take immediate action. They should stop the cutting of the mangroves and instead should have re-planting sessions. Mangroves should be protected. We asked the government not to dilute the CRZ norms.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Your save-the-mangroves campaign has been going on for over four years in Versova. What is the progress?</span><br /><br />We have moved court for that. The court has directed the state government to immediately remove the debris dumped by the builders and rejuvenate the mangroves. We had also proposed a plan to make a wall surrounding the mangroves, using the same debris, and the plan was accepted by the government. We also want to make a promenade for citizens. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">How much work has been done so far?</span><br /><br />So far, nothing has been removed. The state government had agreed to remove the debris two years ago. The court had given them a stipulated period of 18 months. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that they were going to float the tender and start work when the government gave them the funds. We are still waiting for that. After that we have also written to the Prime Minister and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, but there has been no response.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Have environmental causes become mere lip service, because no concrete help is at hand from the government?</span><br /><br />It is because bureaucrats and politicians know that there are only few NGOs working in the field and they will one day give up. But we will not remain silent. Till the government changes the constitution on CRZ regulations, we will keep on fighting.<br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">manish.pachouly@timesgroup.com</span></div> </div>