Thane creek

The New Year has brought in some good news for environmentalists and nature lovers. Hearing a PIL against the SEZ near Thane creek, the Bombay High Court has ordered the BMC to stop dumping waste into the creek and surrounding mangroves. See article in Mumbai Mirror dated Friday, January 06, 2012: HC raps BMC for dumping waste in Thane creek. At least, this marks a beginning of the fight for preserving the wetlands and mangroves and protecting them from destruction. However, more needs to be done.

To the North of the proposed SEZ where mangroves have been leveled out, lies a small patch of mangroves (in Thane East). Sometime time back, thanks to the local corporator, the small path leading to Swami Samarth math (religious prayer hall), was converted into a tarred road with street lights, making it convenient for the local residents to take their morning and evening walks. During our visit to this place today, we observed construction debris dumped on a large scale, along one side of the path. The undergrowth had been set afire all along the pathway. This is clearly being done with an objective of choking and ultimately destroying the mangroves, and occupying forest land illegally. One of the local residents came forward and informed us that the dumping started after the monsoons and is being done during the day time when there is hardly anyone around. She also mentioned that they can hear the anguished calls of the birds which are killed by the fires in the area.

It is hoped that the above activities are brought to the attention of concerned Forest officials and the municipal corporation, by the residents and by HT. Copy of this post is being forwarded to HT, since today’s visit (A bird watching vigil) was undertaken after I read about it in HT Live, and to TOI.

More about birds next week.