Navi Mumbai: Mangroves relocation a 'settled case', but NGO red flags overlooking land near project site

NAVI Mumbai: The forest department discussed the issue of the NGO NatConnect's demand to relocate compensatory afforestation of mangroves with the office of chief conservator of forest on Thursday, that has held the issue as "settled case" because the land for compensatory afforestation had been as per stage I clearance by the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
The CM office on Wednesday forwarded the issue of relocating the mangroves to be uprooted for constructing the third creek bridge on Vashi creek, to the forest secretary. While MoEFCC rules provide for compensatory afforestation in any part of the state where suitable land for afforestation is available, NatConnect said it will now ask the CM to first find out whether land was available for afforestation near the Vashi bridge site.
The revenue department, on August 17, ordered the Mumbai suburban collector to transfer the required 1.4074 hectares of land at Erangal village in Borivali.
BN Kumar, director, NatConnect (NGO) said, "the forest department cannot take shelter under the rule book and wash its hands off. The officers will go away after their tenure. It is the people who stay here that will suffer. We will write to the CM and environment minister to explore whether land was available close to the project site. The Vashi creek area and the location near the upcoming project is very suitable for mangrove growth, and there are a lot of mangroves."
The administration said, "Availability of land as mandated by the union ministry guideline was important. True, it is always advisable to plant mangroves closeby when uprooted. But in this case the approvals have been obtained by concerned authorities, including the Bombay high court."
Kumar observed, "We are not questioning the rules, but the rationale of compensatory afforestation to a far away place, without looking into the possibility of relocating them close-by."