Navi Mumbai Citizens' Group Demands Climate Coordination Council, Slams 'Token' Environment Day Celebrations

Navi Mumbai, June 4: Ahead of World Environment Day, the citizens' group Sajag Nagrik Manch has called for the establishment of a city-level climate coordination body and urged authorities to move beyond symbolic tree-plantation drives, warning that unchecked concretisation and environmental degradation could make Navi Mumbai increasingly unliveable.

In a detailed memorandum submitted to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), CIDCO and the Forest Department, the group said World Environment Day should not remain a one-day annual ritual but evolve into a year-round commitment to environmental protection, conservation and restoration.

Call for climate coordination body

"The administration must introspect on how many of the trees planted over the last decade are actually surviving instead of merely showcasing plantation figures on paper. Development is necessary, but it should not come at the cost of nature. Authorities must ensure that future generations are not forced to carry oxygen cylinders on their backs," the memorandum stated.

The group highlighted what it described as a lack of coordination among the three key agencies responsible for the city's development and environment — CIDCO, NMMC and the Forest Department.

According to the memorandum, conflicting decisions and fragmented planning among these agencies often result in environmental damage. To address this issue, Sajag Nagrik Manch has demanded the immediate formation of a Navi Mumbai Climate Coordination Council (NMCCC) comprising representatives from all relevant departments.

Concerns over concretisation

The forum also criticised the large-scale construction of cement roads across the city, claiming that excessive concretisation has reduced groundwater recharge, worsened urban heat conditions and increased the risk of flash floods.

"Rainwater is no longer able to percolate into the ground because of widespread concretisation. Groundwater levels are declining while the Urban Heat Island Effect is pushing temperatures higher. During monsoons, this creates conditions for flash floods," the group said.

As a solution, it recommended the adoption of permeable pavements, which allow rainwater to seep into the ground.

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Key environmental demands

Among the major demands raised by the group are:

● Declaring the Parsik and Belapur hills as Eco-Sensitive No Development Zones and preventing further excavation and encroachments.

● Launching a joint CIDCO-NMMC drive to desilt Dutch-style holding ponds that play a crucial role in flood management.

● Providing legal protection to the DPS Lake, NRI wetland and TS Chanakya wetland areas to safeguard mangroves and flamingo habitats.

● Introducing an annual Climate Budget and a publicly accessible climate dashboard to improve transparency and accountability.

● Constituting an independent panel of environmental experts and making its no-objection certificate mandatory before approving any major development project.

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