Mangrove Selfie Point. What’s the point?

Recently Dahisar was in the news for Mumbai’s and probably India’s first Mangrove Selfie Point which was the culmination of many years of tireless efforts at mangrove preservation by local citizen activists of Mumbai, and funds provided from the BMC Corporator Shri Avkash Jadhav. The local Corporator and the ex MLA were also present at this grand function on the 13th of June 2016, a week after World Environment Day.

But just a few metres away this is the scene that has been unfolding over the past few years.

2004 CHEF HOTEL 2016 CHEF HOTEL

In a span of a decade a lush green water body behind the now defunct Chef Hotel on the link Raod at Dahisar West has been reclaimed and used for non forest activities including sand cleaning, garages and bus parking.

Another area where now a Petrol Pump has also cropped up in CRZ is seen below, in Borivali, barely a kilometre away from the above spot.

2004 Zoom Behind Petrol Pump — The fields above are in CRZ-NDZ. This is in 2004.

2009 Zoom Behind Petrol Pump — In 2009 huge amount of debris were dumped on these areas.

2016 Zoom Behind Petrol Pump — Now in 2016 you can see a huge area reclaimed, bus parking and the triangular area is the Petrol pump.

Thanks to the PIL filed by New Link Road Residents Forum with supporting satellite images, now the culprits and their modus operandi is clear for everyone to see. Today there was a joint site visit by the Tehsildar, Talati, Police , BMC and our Forum. Let us await the outcome and action that follows.

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