Giving examples of encroachments on mangroves and inaccuracy of CZMP, the CAT report says that in Uttan, Dahisar, 700 hectares of land is demarcated as an intertidal zone. | NatConnect/ Image used for representation
The Conservation Action Trust (CAT), a non-profit organisation working towards protecting the environment released a report exposing the failure of implementation of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), which is mandatory under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification. The report highlights the inaccuracy of CZMP, which indirectly has allowed the encroachment of the mangrove land and coastal areas in Mumbai and the Metropolitan Region including Dahisar, Goregaon, Charkop, Mahul, Mankhurd, Bandra and Nerul among others.
The report, released by retired justice from Bombay High Court, Gautam Patel along with CAT trustee Debi Goenka and other experts states that though the CRZ notification came into force on February 19, 1991, we still do not have accurate CZMPs, which is a tool to protect coastal habitats and maintain ecological balance. “This delay, coupled with constant pressures from builders, infrastructural projects, industries, and urbanisations among other factors has significantly diminished the promise and intent of the CRZ notification,” the report says.
Giving examples of encroachments on mangroves and inaccuracy of CZMP, the CAT report says that in Uttan, Dahisar, 700 hectares of land is demarcated as an intertidal zone. “It seems this has been done deliberately at the behest of the government authorities who are planning to change the area to a recreation and tourism development zone (MMRDA SPA), as suggested in the Draft DP 2034,” it says.
For Pahadi, Goregaon, the report highlights that about 500 acres of dense mangroves have been destroyed post-1996, despite that the area was identified as “Deemed Forests” in 1997. The report also states that the fact that mangroves are present on the site was hidden while seeking environmental clearances. Although the Ministry of Environment and Forest suspended the environmental clearance in 2013, in 2018 a part of this plot was offered by the State Government for a National Judicial Academy and another part for shifting the Bombay High Court. Maharashtra National Law University is proposed to be built on part of this land, the report says highlighting the proposed reclamation of mangroves.
Talking about the Bandra Kurla Complex, the CAT report states that the Google Earth image of the year 2000 shows that the reclamation had commenced, except for the southwest part. However, the Google Earth images of 2020 show that the entire area has been reclaimed, including the creek, which one of the prime for flooding in BKC, it says.
Environmentalist Debi Goenka said that the CRZ Notification decrees that construction and infrastructure projects proposed in coastal areas would be approved/rejected based on these CZMPs. However, the government has prepared three CZMPs over these 33 years, which are inaccurate and incomplete. The state municipalities, bureaucracies and planning agencies take advantage of the incorrect CZMP. While it may seem a case of erroneous mapping to the layman, such errors have grave impacts on coastal city like Mumbai.”
Mangrove encroachments: Identifies encroachments in Dahisar, Goregaon, Bandra, and Nerul
Inaccurate CZMP: Delays and pressures from development have compromised CZMP
Uttan, Dahisar: 700 hectares marked for tourism, bypassing CRZ rules
Goregaon mangroves: 500 acres destroyed, despite “Deemed Forest” status.
BKC reclamation: Complete reclamation, increasing flood risks
Criticism: Blames inaccurate mapping and incomplete CZMP blamed for encroachments
