Mangrove plantations at Vashi bridge: Maharashtra environment minister assures support

NAVI MUMBAI:Environment minister Aditya Thackeray's office has taken prompt action on the plea made by city-based NGO, NatConnect, regarding the mangroves to be uprooted for the construction of the third creek bridge at Vashi be planted close to the project site.
OSD to the minister, Ravindra Baviskar, in a reply from the minister's email id Monday mailed and intimated to the Nature Connect foundation.
It said, “we have forwarded your email for necessary action to concern authorities".
Director of the foundation, BN Kumar had mailed the CM and Aditya last Friday questioning the rationale for compensatory afforestation of the mangroves at another site that was far away in Mumbai suburbs.
The Maharashtra state road development corporation ( MSRDC) that is executing the mega infra will start work after forest department issues the working permission. With all green nods in place, the 1.4074 hectares of mangrove land required for the project had a land transfer issue to the forest for compensatory afforestation for the 430 mangrove trees to be cut to free the land in Vashi.
The revenue department last Monday ordered the suburban collector to transfer equal measure ( 1.4074 hectares) of land to the forest department at Erangal village in Borivali creek.
The environment minister's office has forwarded the green body's mail to Thane collector and CCF ( chief conservator of forest)