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After relentless pressure and filing of PIL’s in Court, by environmental activists like the New Link Road Residents Forum, Vanashakti, OLCA and others, the State Government has finally realized the value of wetlands for the survival of Mumbai and other coastal areas.

THE WETLAND RULES, 2010, RESTRICT ACTIVITIES SUCH AS RECLAMATION AND DISPOSAL OF ALL KINDS OF WASTE ON WETLANDS

Figure 1 Wetlands have been ruthlessly reclaimed for slums, bus parking, garages etc. as can be seen in this shocking picture from Dahisar

MUMBAI: The state government has decided to accord high protection status to wetlands and prepare a brief document as per the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010, which will identify and classify wetlands across the state.

Wetlands are marshes; peatlands, natural or artificial, that are inundated by water. Lakes, reservoirs, tanks, backwaters, lagoons, creeks, estuaries and manmade wetlands come under the category. The new status will ensure wetlands are as protected as mangroves.

Although the Wetland Rules, 2010, had made it mandatory for all states to identify wetlands in the document within one year, the state is yet to complete it. The revenue and forest department has now issued a government resolution (GR) announcing the preparation of the document and formed a wetland protection committee headed by the chief secretary.

The state’s move to spell out its stand on wetland protection comes after non-profit organization Vanashakti, New Link Resident’s Forum and some citizens filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in 2013, asking the Bombay high court (HC) to halt the destruction of wetlands. The HC had, in March 2013, banned the reclamation of wetlands across the state and asked the state to clarify its stand on protection of wetlands. “Wetlands falling under forest land will be protected by the forest department, while the rest will be looked after by the urban development department. The forest department will follow the National Wetland Atlas to identify the wetlands while the rest will be identified separately,” said Praveen Pardeshi, principal secretary, forest department.

The National Wetland Atlas comprises wetlands that were mapped by satellites.

Figure 2 Definition of Wetland

The petition filed by our Forum and other NGO’s across Mumbai had detailed how several wetlands in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) such as Bhandup, Mulund, Thane, Mira Road and Bhayander were facing rampant reclamation and destruction by land sharks. The HC asked the chief conservator, mangrove cell, to conduct a field survey of places facing wetland destruction.

“The state was not willing to protect wetlands till now. This is an important step in that direction. The right protection mechanism should be put in place now,” said Stalin D, director (projects), Vanashakti.

Page 2, 8 May 2014

Hindustan Times (Mumbai)

Nikhil M Ghanekar nikhil.ghanekar@hindustantimes.com