Aimed at better understanding of the legal tools and institutional framework on conservation and protection of mangroves in coordination with other related government agencies and environmental groups, the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) led by commissioner Sadanand Date, organized a single-day workshop at its headquarters on Wednesday.
Apart from the prominent presence of divisional forest officer (mangrove cell) Adarsh Reddy and assistant director projects (mangrove cell) Dr. Sheetal Pachpande, officials attached to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), forest department, pollution control board, revenue department and police officers shouldering the responsibility of mangrove destruction and dumping related cases registered their active participation in the workshop.
FPJ Photo
The eminent speakers spoke at length about mangrove conservation, legal provisions to nail violators, satellite mapping process. While pristine stretches of mangroves in the twin-city are already under attack by land sharks, consequently posing a serious threat to the fragile eco-system and also increasing the risk of flooding during the rainy season.
However, the actual beneficiaries including the plot owners and influential real estate developers manage to evade action under the legal provisions of the stringent Environment Protection Act, in most of the cases. Notably, the mangrove ecosystem plays a vital role in protecting the land against the ingress of seawater during a tidal surge. It’s also an invaluable natural barrier against floods while protecting the shoreline from soil erosion.
