Mumbai: Range Forest Officers (RFO) of Thane arrested two men for dumping construction debris at a Mangrove forest in Kanjurmarg.
Wazir Ahmed Ali, a driver, and his helper Shiraj Ahmed were arrested by RFOs during their patrolling on Thursday night. The patrolling officers caught the duo dumping debris on protected mangrove zone.
It was also found the construction debris was brought from the metro railway works undergoing at Powai.
“We caught both Ahmed and Shiraj on the act. What they were doing was illegal as dumping ground is being offered for them at Uran. However, they were dumping at a protected zone,” stated Vasu Kokare, RFO Thane Mangrove Cell.
Furthermore, Kokare stated the investigation is ongoing and not much details can be disclosed.
Earlier on January, the Bombay High Court-appointed state mangrove and wetland committee has stated that despite the removal of 2,274 encroachments from 14 hectare (ha) reserved mangrove forests across 10 locations in the city in 2019, debris has been dumped on 10.22 ha mangrove forests across eight locations.
The BMC stated that the debris cannot be dumped within Mumbai because there is no area, and it is also not allowed. The civic body also demanded funds from the committee, in order to begin the tendering process.
