NAVI MUMBAI: Citing the slow progress in cases of
environmental crime
, particularly the destruction of mangroves, three ecology-focused groups have appealed to
CM Devendra Fadnavis
to set up a specialised
green police
.
Recent days have seen a series of violations of
Bombay high court
orders and environmental and CRZ laws but the authorities have not been able to initiate concrete action, said the
activists
in a missive to the CM. A copy was sent to the state mangrove monitoring committee too.
A revenue-forest joint squad had recorded several instances of wetland and mangrove destruction on a visit to Uran on Monday.
A series of forest fires also had officials puzzled about the cause and no steps could be taken to arrest such incidents, said the mail sent by the Nature Connect, Shree Ekvira Aai Pratishtan (SEAP) and Watchdog Foundation. The green police must be given all powers to take speedy decisions, said SEAP head Nandkumar Pawar.
“A startling obervation has come to light that the Bombay high court-appointed mangrove committee is toothless. It does not seem to enjoy any powers to arrest and prosecute those who grossly violate the high court orders and the existing environment laws,” activist B N Kumar, director of the Nature Connect, said.
“The committee, at best, files FIR and waits for police to act. By the time any case is filed, the damage would have been done, added Kumar.
The green police must be trained in environmental laws and familiar with various court and NGT rulings.
“The government could set up a pilot cell each in Navi Mumbai and Mumbai,” said Godfrey Pimenta of Watchdog Foundation.
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