One booked for Uran mangrove destruction

The Divisional Commissioner, Konkan division, has lodged a police complaint against Shashidharan Nair, a Reliance employee, in connection with mangrove destruction in Uran.

The Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) had raised the issue and filed a complaint with the divisional commissioner in this regard on June 18.

The BEAG had alleged large-scale land reclamation and mangrove destruction at the land allotted to Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone (NMSEZ), Private Limited of Reliance. Member activist of BEAG Debi Goenka said, “A team of BEAG that visited the site on June 5, noticed large-scale reclamation and mangrove destruction at Phunde Dongri, Kala Dhonda and Gori Pakhadi areas in Uran”.

According to BEAG, the dumping and reclamation activities, which began in mid-May this year, are in blatant violation of Coastal Regulatory Zone Notification 1991 as well as the High Court orders on PIL number 87 of 2006. The area is learnt to be under the jurisdiction of City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (CIDCO).

When contacted, divisional commissioner Valsa Nair said, “We had received a complaint from BEAG about illegal dumping and mangrove destruction in Uran area. Investigations into the matter revealed that NMSEZ, private authorities were responsible for illegal dumping and mangrove destruction on government land”.

A complaint has been lodged with the Uran police in this regard.