Maharashtra govt plans tourist attraction in Nhava Island, greens oppose

The plan is facing stiff opposition from various environment groups

The Maharashtra government has unveiled plans to develop a mega tourism project in the Nhava Island off the Raigad district.

However, it is facing stiff opposition from various environmental groups who has petitioned Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The City and Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (CIDCO) which is the nodal agency for Navi Mumbai, has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) for development of Nhava Island.

The CIDCO has developed 14 nodes of Navi Mumbai – which are divided into North and South parts.

The prominent North nodes are Airoli, KoparKhairane, Vashi, Sanpada, Nerul, Central Business District Belapur while South nodes are Kharghar, Kamothe, Kalamboli, Pushpak, Panvel, Ulve and Dronagiri.

The Nhava Island is located 5 kms off Ulve towards creekside – and has a land pocket of 60 hectares.

This is a peninsular area with Karanjade and Thane creek spanning on three sides facing the Elephanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Nhava Island location is close to Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link connecting Sewree in Mumbai to Nhava in Navi Mumbai and is connected to Ulwe note/township.

“While we have nothing against any development, our main concern is that such projects play with the fragile ecology of Uran,” said B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation.

CIDCO’s public notice said the Nhava Island has been marked as a Regional Park Zone.

NatConnect has, however, called for ex-examining the entire Navi Mumbai Development Plan with public involvement. “Till then all works that impact the environment should be on hold. The projects such as the Nhava Island development should be thoroughly re-examined from an environmental point of view,” Kumar said.

The 130-year-old research body BNHS has proposed to work on a Mumbai Urban Biodiversity Plan in association with like-minded associations such as NatConnect and Ekvira Aai Pratishtan. Any project impacting the fragile environment must be thoroughly studied, Kumar said.

“CIDCO, created over 50 years ago to develop new cities, has initially done an excellent work in designing Navi Mumbai keeping environment and greenery in mind. But of late the environment record of CIDCO has become highly questionable, said Kumar, a longtime resident of Navi Mumbai.

Nandakumar Pawar, head of Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan said: “We as environment lovers were forced to move NGT and even the Tribunal ruling is not yet implemented. CIDCO has not bothered to notice the Environment Minister’s order banning fresh construction at Panje.”

Traditional fishing community forum Parampartik Machhimar Bavchao Kruti Samiti said, “We have already begun to experience the ill-effects of CIDCO’s anti-environment policies.”

Uran villages which did not have any record of floods for 15 years have begun to be inundated as free flow of tidal water has been blocked due to illegal landfill of wetland and mangroves at several places. “Lush green mangrove zones have been converted into man made deserts, Dilip Koli of the fishing community forum said.