Mangroves felling: Forest dept faces heat

Even as activists across Mumbai continue with their battle to save mangroves, the sight of them being hacked and carried out for use as firewood for the Holi festival has stirred up a hornet's nest.

DNA's photojournalist Aadesh Choudhari managed to click pictures on Sunday that show men carrying large branches of mangroves that were allegedly chopped from the Mahim Creek on Western Express Highway in Bandra.

In fact, DNA had in 2016 reported about the issue after which the state forest department's mangrove cell had not only launched a search operation to nab offenders based on the photographs provided by this newspaper, but had taken steps to intensify patrolling in mangrove areas across the city.

However, with the same practice continuing, activists claim that the mangrove cell cannot just look the other way.

"We will have to question the mangrove cell officials as to what they were doing because the site is close to the office. Officials should have been manning the site where mangroves are cut and taken away during Holi," said Stalin D, an environmental activist.

Meanwhile, Harish Pandey, another activist who has been working to protect mangroves, said the mangrove cell officials should take strict action against offenders who cut mangroves.

"If this is a perennial problem during Holi, these officials should create awareness to put an end to the practice of cutting mangroves and burning them for Holi," said Pandey.

When DNA sent pictures of mangroves being felled, Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) and head of the mangrove cell, N Vasudevan, said action will be taken against offenders.

"Our staff will patrol the area regularly during this period. Also, legal action will be taken against people caught hacking or taking away mangroves," he said.

Meanwhile, officials from the mangrove cell said the staffers came under pressure from local politicians in 2016 when they had identified offenders during a felling spree for Holi.