With the help of maps sourced from Google Earth by Kalwa Parsik Pravasi Sanghatna, the video shows how slums have eaten into the mangrove cover of Kalwa.
Even before the newly appointed TMC committee on mangroves could get started on the issue, a video has gone viral showing depletion of mangroves in Kalwa area of Thane. With the help of maps sourced from Google Earth by Kalwa Parsik Pravasi Sanghatna, the video shows how slums have eaten into the mangrove cover of Kalwa.
Posted on social media by Siddhesh Desai, president, Kalwa Pravasi Sanghatna the video shows encroachment on mangroves in Kalwa. "After the Bombay High Court directives to the state government to protect mangroves and have a buffer zone of 50 metres, we decided to take up this issue," said Desai. "We, fortunately, got maps from Google Earth which shows human encroachment on Kalwa mangroves from 2005 to date," he added.
On September 17, the Bombay HC directed the state to protect mangroves and construct a 50-metre buffer zone around such plots. It also banned the destruction of mangroves and dumping of debris in the said area.
"After Mumbai's Dharavi, Kalwa slums are the most populated in Thane. With the help of political backing, the land mafia has managed to encroach upon these mangroves and also into the Kalwa creek," he said. The group is also following up the issue with the Thane municipal corporation (TMC). "We want these encroachments to be removed which have flourished with the help of TMC officials who are hand in glove with the land mafia and provide water and other facilities to them," he alleged.
Desai also points out the real owners of these slum tenements are not the poorest of poor. "These slums are owned by rich people who have rented them out to the poor. Tomorrow there will be a fire in a slum and then they will come forward like Garibnagar in Mumbai and get a 1bhk flat for Rs 1 lacs or Rs 2 lacs easily," he points out.
When contacted the Deputy Municipal Commissioner, TMC - demolition and encroachment, Ashok Burpulle, said that they are working on mangroves issue and declined to comment on the issue. On October 8 TMC Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal ordered the formation of a committee to look into the issues of mangroves. The committee will do satellite mapping of mangroves in its jurisdiction and compare it with the situation in 2005.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Mangroves")
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}