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FORUM, BEAG and COLLECTOR WIN BATTLE FOR MANGROVES

Times, Mumbai Mirror and Hindustan Times excerpts:

State starts razing illegal bunds in mangrove forest in S. 344

Viju B Times News Network 5/5/2011

Mumbai: A large patch of mangroves along the Gorai creek got a fresh lease of life after officials from the Mumbai suburban collectorate destroyed 50 feet of a bund which had been blocking sea water from entering the mangrove area for almost one year.
The officials were provided police protection for the task.
On January 31, 2011 the Supreme Court directed builder Jayesh Shah to reopen the bunds which were choking the mangroves so that water could be let in within 60 days to ensure that the original condition of the land—as it was in January 2010—could be restored. State officials had visited the site on February 23 and found that most of the debris was yet to be removed. The Supreme Court had later extended the deadline to April 28. The court had also directed the state to recover the costs from the builder in case the order was not complied with.
“We visited all the spots here and found that hardly any debris had been lifted. The culverts were still choked,’’ an official said. “Today, we broke 50 feet of a bund. We will remove all the debris in the coming days and open up at least four main spots for the sea water,’’ a senior collectorate official said. The officials said that at least 60% of the mangroves had died here.
Times View
The state administration’s bold decision to remove debris, open up the bunds and usher in fresh life in the 400-plus acres of mangroves adjoining the Gorai Creek is laudable. These mangroves comprise the last bit of green zone still surviving in the western suburbs. And they do much more than adding green to satellite maps; they are the city’s defence against the sea in an era where nature has behaved with remarkable unpredictability. It would be great if the government acts with similar resolve in the other flashpoints in the battle to protect nature in Mumbai.

Mumbai Mirror:
Gorai mangroves get kiss of life, locals breathe easy

SC’s deadline to builder who set up bunds ended, collector begins action to save mangrove patches

Virat A Singh

Posted On Thursday, May 05, 2011 at 02:37:15 AM

Slowly, the excavator rolled its way through the muck and slush, bulldozing the fencing that blocked the flow of water from the creek to the mangroves.

At Gorai creek on Thursday, the roar of the vehicle whirred angrily as workers from the suburban collector’s office razed the bund, in keeping with the Supreme Court’s directive of January 31 this year.

Members of the New Link Road Residents’ Forum, who have been fighting to safeguard almost 450 acres of mangroves, heaved a sigh of relief after Suburban District Collector, Nirmal Deshmukh, directed his officials to initiate action for removal of the bunds that had been choking the mangroves.

Deadline missed

After builder Jayesh Shah had created the bunds, the matter landed in the courts. And the residents’ forum had joined in the chorus to save the greens.

The apex court ordered the builder to restore the site to its original state as it was in January 2010. The builder was given a deadline of 60 days.

In case the builder failed to do so, the responsibility rested with the state, and the cost of razing the bund was to be recovered from the builder.

However, after the 60-day deadline, the builder got another extension of another 30 days to get the work done. This extended deadline on May 3.

Sea water gushes in as people from the suburban district collector’s office raze bunds that choke mangroves in Gorai creek
To continue for week

“We have opened 55 mt of bunds from the site. The creek water has started entering the barren mangroves,” said a senior officer who was at the site.

“From tomorrow [Thursday], we will deploy more workers and machines to restore the site to its original state, as per the Supreme Court’s directives.”

The official said that a lot of debris had amassed at the spot.

“We have given the work to a contractor and the cost will be recovered from the builder, in keeping with the orders of the Supreme Court,” the official said.

Suburban collector Nirmal Deshmukh told Mumbai Mirror, “Two excavators broke down the bunds. Seawater has now started flowing into the mangroves and this will them a fresh lease of life to the mangroves spread over nearly 450 acres. We expect work to be completed within a week.”

He said the builder tried to stop work by filing a contempt plea before the Supreme Court, which was dismissed.

Secretary of New Link Road Residents’ Forum Harish Pandey said, “We are glad that the collector’s office has initiated action. After all, it’s a question of such a huge patch of mangroves we are fighting to save.”

Starved for water

Before the bund was created, water from Gorai creek that swept to the mangroves and back into the creek kept the green patch aflush.

The bund that was set up blocked the entry of water from the creek, making the mangroves choke.

Hindustan Times also carried out an excellent article today 5/5/2011:

Seawater from the Gorai Creek finally entered a mangrove patch at Dahisar on Wednesday after a portion of the 300m bund built in the area was broken following orders from the suburban district collector.
The move to restore the patch came after the three-month time period given to Kandivli-based Ravi Builders by the Supreme Court ended on May 1.

“One-fourth of the bund was demolished to allow seawater to flow into the vegetation,“ said Nirmal Deshmukh, suburban collector. “It will take about a week to demolish the remaining bund and a month to complete restoration work,“ he added.

Close to 60% of the mangroves died due to non-availability of seawater, said senior officials from the collector’s office monitoring the restoration work. “While the mangroves on the periphery are alive, those deep inside have died.
One needs to study whether the mangroves were killed using chemicals,“ said an official.

In January, the apex court had directed builder Jayesh Shah to restore the patch to its January 2010 condition within two months, failing which the collector would restore them and recover the money from the builder. But two days before the deadline, the builder got a month’s extension from the apex court, which ended on May 1.
“During this time, rather than opening bunds, the builder erected a 60m bund that was broken because of tidal action,“ said Debi Goenka of the Bombay Environment Action Group.

“The collector’s office accomplished in 100 minutes what the builder could not in 100 days,“ said Harish Pandey of the New Link Road Residents’ Forum. On Wednesday, the SC dismissed the contempt affidavit filed by the builder against the collector.

Also: http://www.afternoondc.in/city-news/dahisar-mangroves-doomed/article_21609