Mumbai: The fishing community and marine experts have expressed fears that the Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial in the Arabian Sea will destroy the rich varieties of coral and other marine life and thereby violate the Indian Wildlife Protection Act. The Supreme Court had recently issued a stay on the construction work of the memorial, on January 11.
Damodar Tandel of the Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kriti Samiti, said on Tuesday, “The no-objection certificate (NOC) given by the fisheries commissioner has clearly mentioned the memorial should not affect fishing activities. But the project, if constructed on the proposed site, would severely affect these activities.”
“Fishing has been banned within 500 metres of Cuffe Parade and Raj Bhavan area. The memorial will come up 1.2km from Raj Bhavan. During low tide, they will not be able to take boats into the sea, even at a distance of 500 metres. Despite this, the state government is going ahead with the project,” Tandel said. “We are not against the Shiv Smarak. But we are opposed to the choice of the site at Nariman Point.
The memorial could be built between Nariman Point and Girgaum Chowpatty or on the 250-hectare Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Fishermen will oppose the project until their problems are solved,” Tandel threatened. Marine expert Pradip Patade alleged the state has ignored warnings from experts who have performed an environmental assessment study of the project.
“The proposed site for the memorial includes a rocky patch, where corals are found in large quantity, as are 40 kinds of fish and crabs. The preliminary survey of biodiversity and marine life carried out by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has revealed that the project would lead to the elimination of several marine species like corals, sea-fans and sponges which are protected under the Wildlife (protection) Act 1972,” he said.
