Navi Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) which has been leasing out major water bodies for various projects is not the right authority to certify the existence of wetlands, the Centre has clarified.
Acting on a complaint registered by NatConnect Foundation with the Prime Minister against the destruction of wetlands in the absence of notifying the water bodies, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) has said that the process of identification and notifying the wetlands is in progress.
“The ground truthing of wetlands (greater than 2.25 ha) across the country based on the ISRO -SAC (satellite application centre) atlas is being carried out by all states/UTs,” Rajasekhar Ratti, Scientist D, Wetlands Division – MOEFCC, informed NatConnect director B N Kumar.
“All wetlands/water bodies are being protected under extant laws of states/UTs. Further, all identified and notified wetlands are being protected under provisions of Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017,” Ratti said.
At this stage, Kumar specifically drew the MOEFCC’s attention to the fact that CIDCO has been denying the existence of any wetlands in Navi Mumbai and leasing them out for projects such as Navi Mumbai special economic zone (NMSEZ), JNPA and even a golf course.
Ratti responded: “For your kind information, CIDCO is not an organisation to identify wetlands”. He, therefore, asked Kumar to contact State Wetlands Authority, Maharashtra for clarification on the wetlands in Maharashtra.
This piece of information assumes significance in view of CIDCO turning down a proposal from the state mangrove cell to conserve the wetlands of Belpada, Bhendkhal and Panje in Uran and NRI Seawoods and TS Chanakya in Nerul, NatConnect pointed out. The CIDCO’s stand in response to the mangrove cell was that these water bodies are developable land parcels.
In another development, CIDCO has allotted the NRI Seawoods and TSC wetlands for a golf course. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Development Authority (MCZMA) has even granted a CRZ clearance on CIDCO certificate that the water bodies are not wetlands.
This, despite the fact that the Bombay High Court has struck down the golf course project and the CIDCO special leave petition is pending in the Supreme Court.
As regards conserving the 286-hectare Panje wetland, Vanashakti and Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan have filed separate petitions in HC where the hearing is pending.
The Chief Minister has already referred NatConnect's complaint against the burial of Bhendkhal wetland to the environment department.
One NatConnect's point that just 1,274 wetlands of the 2.5 lakh major wetlands identified by the Atlas have been listed by the Indian Wetlands website of the MOEFCC, Ratti clarified that the “ground truthing” of wetlands is being carried out by all States/UTs under the guidance and support of National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM).
“As the process for wetlands identification is under progress, it needs some time to get the data on the portal (indianwetlands.in),” the MOEFCC official said in his mailed response.
Meanwhile, Nandakumar Pawar, head of Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan has criticised the state authorities for their “lack of seriousness” in identifying and notifying the wetlands. The responsibility flows down to the district administration levels which have utterly failed, Pawar regretted.
