'Relocate mangroves of Vashi creek near bridge site itself'

NAVI MUMBAI: The forest department on Thursday discussed an NGO's demand that Vashi creek mangroves, to be uprooted to make way for a bridge, be relocated close to the project site. The NGO, NatConnect Foundation, said it will ask the chief minister's office to find if land was available for afforestation near the Vashi bridge site itself. On Wednesday, the chief minister's office had forwarded the issue of relocating the mangroves to be uprooted for constructing the third bridge on Vashi creek to the forest secretary.
Environment ministry rules provide for compensatory afforestation in any part of the state where suitable land is available.
On August 17, the revenue department had ordered the Mumbai suburban collector to transfer the required 1.4074 hectare land at Erangal village in Borivli. B N Kumar, director, NatConnect, said, "The forest department cannot take shelter under the rule book. The officers will go away after their tenure. It is the local people who will suffer. We will write to the CM and the environment minister to explore whether land was available close to the project site."
The state administration has said, "It is always advisable to plant mangroves close by when uprooted. But, in this case, the approvals have been obtained from concerned authorities, including the Bombay high court."