The Raigad District collector's office has issued a toll-free number 1077 and a WhatsApp number 8275152363 for citizens and environmentalists to lodge a complaint if they come across the destruction of mangroves.
The district has large coastal areas and mangrove destructions were reported in the past by way of dumping debris and changing the tidal wave.
While appealing to citizens to lodge complaints at these numbers, Resident Deputy Collector Dr Padmashri Bainade informed that the numbers have been issued following a High Court order, seeking measures to be taken for the protection and conservation of mangroves on September 17, 2018 in Public Interest Litigation.
Control committees at District/taluka level for conservation of mangrove forests
Accordingly, the state government, Revenue and Forest Department on October 16, 2018 decided to form control committees at the divisional level as well as at the district/taluka level for the protection and conservation of mangrove forests for the coastal district.
Now, the citizens of the district can file a complaint regarding the degradation and destruction of the mangrove forest and also file a complaint about the illegal secondary mineral extraction and transportation in the control room toll-free No. 1077 and WhatsApp No. 8275152363.
