Maharashtra's Mangrove Cell to acquire drones

In a significant development, the Maharashtra Mangrove Cell has planned to acquire a drone and set up a CCTV camera network across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to keep an eye on mangrove burials by debris and land mafia.

Responding to complaints of mangrove destruction across MMR, Virendra Tiwari, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mangrove Cell, disclosed that the consultancy firm Ernst & Young will carry out a detailed survey of the vulnerable areas.

The Mangrove Cell also plans to acquire a drone to keep an eye on the mangrove destruction, Tiwari said, addressing an online discussion hosted by environment NGO NatConnect Foundation coinciding with the International Day of Biodiversity.

The NGO has launched a social media campaign #MumbiodiversityBachao focusing on the degradation in MMR and appealed to Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray to take quick steps to save the environment immediately. “Act today. Tomorrow will be too late,” said the social media message.

“We have been complaining against organized mangrove burial across the region to the Bombay High Court-appointed mangrove protection and conservation committee which in turn has been asking the authorities such as the PWD, CIDCO and District collectors to act,” said B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation.

“Though some destruction has been halted in some places, it is rampant in other places in Uran, Kharghar, Ulwe and Vashi,” he said. Despite the inaction from PWD and CIDCO, the HC appointed mangrove committee has not been able to do anything, Kumar regretted.

Even the Mangrove Committee asked CIDCO and all district collectors to hand over the mangroves to the forest department. Yet there is no movement on this front and the HC committee has not taken any action though they are empowered to do so, said Kumar.