<p>Navi Mumbai:<strong> </strong>Perhaps for the first time, a buried mangrove stretch of four hectares at Vashi has been restored, thanks to the concerted efforts of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra">Maharashtra</a> Forest Department.</p><p>Truckloads of debris dumped over the mangroves at Survey Number 17 in Vashi village near the railway station have been cleared. </p><p>"This is the first time that a mangrove burial site is being restored in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)," said NatConnect Foundation which has been campaigning, along with many NGOs, to save the tidal plants.</p><p>Despite the<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bombay-high-court"> Bombay High Court</a> judgement in September 2018 to protect and conserve the mangroves, no efforts have been made to restore the destroyed sites, NatConnect director B N Kumar.</p>.Behind India’s tiger story.<p>"There are many places in MMR such as Uran, Ulwe, Kharghar, Sion-Panvel Highway and Chembur where we have been complaining of mangrove destruction, but we do not see any efforts to restore the sea plants which are our frontline soldiers against tidal attacks on the coastal areas, " lamented Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagar Shakti.</p><p>Mangroves began to rejuvenate on their own without any human intervention, Pawar pointed out.</p><p>Even in areas such as Pagote, the authorities did not act to clear the debris, Kumar said.</p><p>Range Forest Officer Sudhir Manjare has invited nature lovers to visit the restored site.</p><p>As regards the Vashi restoration site, NatConnect suggested construction of a mangrove walk zone before the plants grow.</p><p>This site can be utilised as a mangrove trail for spreading awareness and educating the people on the importance of mangroves as carbon sinks, breeding ground for a host of fish and crabs varieties, filters of pollutants, Kumar said.</p><p>NMMC’s planned Mangrove Park can be taken up at Vashi itself. The wooden trail structure can be built while taking up the plantation. This would help in smooth execution of the work without having to disturb the mangroves, he said.</p><p>He recalled that the construction of the Gorai-Dahisar mangrove trail has been a tedious task as the mangrove cell had to take extra precaution to build the wooden structure through gaps, and not touching any existing tidal plants.</p><p>Thus, taking up the mangrove park project at the Vashi site before any plants grow there would be much easier than building any structures through the mangroves.</p><p>NMMC has earlier said the park is proposed in the Ghansoli-Airoli stretch which greens say would disturb the existing thick patches of mangroves.</p>
<p>Navi Mumbai:<strong> </strong>Perhaps for the first time, a buried mangrove stretch of four hectares at Vashi has been restored, thanks to the concerted efforts of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra">Maharashtra</a> Forest Department.</p><p>Truckloads of debris dumped over the mangroves at Survey Number 17 in Vashi village near the railway station have been cleared. </p><p>"This is the first time that a mangrove burial site is being restored in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)," said NatConnect Foundation which has been campaigning, along with many NGOs, to save the tidal plants.</p><p>Despite the<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bombay-high-court"> Bombay High Court</a> judgement in September 2018 to protect and conserve the mangroves, no efforts have been made to restore the destroyed sites, NatConnect director B N Kumar.</p>.Behind India’s tiger story.<p>"There are many places in MMR such as Uran, Ulwe, Kharghar, Sion-Panvel Highway and Chembur where we have been complaining of mangrove destruction, but we do not see any efforts to restore the sea plants which are our frontline soldiers against tidal attacks on the coastal areas, " lamented Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagar Shakti.</p><p>Mangroves began to rejuvenate on their own without any human intervention, Pawar pointed out.</p><p>Even in areas such as Pagote, the authorities did not act to clear the debris, Kumar said.</p><p>Range Forest Officer Sudhir Manjare has invited nature lovers to visit the restored site.</p><p>As regards the Vashi restoration site, NatConnect suggested construction of a mangrove walk zone before the plants grow.</p><p>This site can be utilised as a mangrove trail for spreading awareness and educating the people on the importance of mangroves as carbon sinks, breeding ground for a host of fish and crabs varieties, filters of pollutants, Kumar said.</p><p>NMMC’s planned Mangrove Park can be taken up at Vashi itself. The wooden trail structure can be built while taking up the plantation. This would help in smooth execution of the work without having to disturb the mangroves, he said.</p><p>He recalled that the construction of the Gorai-Dahisar mangrove trail has been a tedious task as the mangrove cell had to take extra precaution to build the wooden structure through gaps, and not touching any existing tidal plants.</p><p>Thus, taking up the mangrove park project at the Vashi site before any plants grow there would be much easier than building any structures through the mangroves.</p><p>NMMC has earlier said the park is proposed in the Ghansoli-Airoli stretch which greens say would disturb the existing thick patches of mangroves.</p>