Mumbai: Members of a housing society in Versova approached the Bombay High Court on Friday highlighting the rampant destruction of mangroves by the local authorities for constructing some roads and bridges. The society has allege that these proposed roads will be going through mangroves for which the development authorities have started destroying the protected greenery by means of dumping debris on it.
The grievances of the society were heard by a bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Nitin Jamdar, who have directed the authorities to file their say in the matter. By this petition, the society members have urged the bench to direct the authorities to forthwith stop the construction work and also stay the damage being caused to mangroves.
According to the society, at least three proposed link roads/flyovers will pass through mangroves in the western region. This, the members claim, was learnt through the development plan uploaded on the website of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Apart from these three link roads, there are also some other roads proposed to be constructed, the society has claimed.
“The construction of these proposed roads do not follow the principles sustainable development,” the members have said in their petition. The members have claimed to have been writing several letters to the concerned authorities all the way from 2012 till 2015.
“We have issued letters to the authorities highlighting the fact that these proposed roads would in no manner reduce the traffic in the area. Instead the same would increase the traffic and also bottlenecks in the area. The proposed construction will also increase the difficulties of the public around and more particularly due to the unplanned manner in which the said roads are proposed to be constructed,” the plea reads.
It further adds, “In our letters we also submitted an alternate plan for the roads by which there will be minimal damage to the mangroves and also there would be lesser traffic snarls. However, the authorities have not bothered to reply to our letters, yet.”
