Locals hold candlelight morcha to save mangroves

Locals hold candlelight morcha to save Lokhandwala mangroves

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19^th March 2012

Citizens in Mumbai are pro-actively doing events to safeguard mangroves.

Mumbai: Residents of Oshiwara and Lokhandwala came out in large numbers to protect mangroves and open spaces in their area.
    A candlelight morcha was organized by the NGO Save Our Open Spaces from Millat Nagar to Lokhandwala joggers’ park.
    “Our aim was to highlight the daily destruction of mangroves being carried out by unscrupulous builders. This is to let them know that residents will no longer tolerate it,” said Ashok Pandit, chairperson of the NGO.
    In the past, residents, led by Usha Kiran, had approached the Bombay high court to prevent the destruction of mangroves on survey no. 161, Versova. “It was the time when there was no RTI Act and we succeeded in not only stopping the debris dumping but also putting up a fence,” said Rishi Agarwal, an activist. He added that in 1998, Lokhandwala had 1,000 acres of mangroves, which had now been reduced to 300 acres.
    Gerry Pinto, a resident from Lokhandwala whose building directly overlooks the mangroves, said the march created awareness about the need to save open spaces.