Navi Mumbai: The 35.55-hectare open land parcel in the Nerul NRI and TS Chanakya belt has been confirmed as wetlands by the Thane nayab tehsildar. The verification followed an onsite inspection conducted by the tehsil office alongside officials from the mangroves, forest, police, and revenue departments.
As per the findings, the land includes wetlands and a kaccha road reportedly existing for the past 15 years. The inspection, conducted on December 23, was prompted by a complaint about debris dumping in the mangroves’ buffer zone.
On December 24, Nerul environmental activist Sunil Agarwal lodged a complaint via the Mangrove Suraksha app. “It was observed that dumping of debris had resumed on a large scale in the area, which is a buffer zone of mangroves.
The NMMC, without any approval from the Bombay High Court, attempted to construct a road here but was stopped by the mangrove cell in May 2023. Now, some activity is being undertaken clandestinely. This was duly informed to the authorities,” said Agarwal.
On May 25, Agarwal alerted authorities, including the chief minister’s office, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), and the environment ministry, about alleged false claims by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) regarding the land parcels.
