200 acres of mangroves wiped out
In what could be one of the biggest destruction of mangroves in the Mumbai metropolitan region, around 200 acres of verdant mangroves in Vasai creek in the Mira-Bhyander belt have been systematically wiped out in a span of just one year. Truckloads of construction debris and garbage were being dumped near the creek. Kachcha roads were being cut deep into the mangrove area so that trucks carrying garbage could go deep into the mangrove forest. When questioned, the truck driver said that they were dumping the garbage on the instructions of the municipal corporation. The western coast has around 8,000 hectares of mangroves, out of which around 3,000 hectares are on the 47 km-long Vasai creek alone. But over the past one year, a large stretch of mangroves here have been reclaimed by builders, allegedly in connivance with the MBMC. Greens say that lot of damage has already been done . "They have reclaimed hundreds of acres of land which had mangroves . This creek is a haven for migratory birds and breeding ground for fishes. The fishing community in Uttan says that they have been seeing a decrease in their catch," Joseph Gonsalves, an environmental activist, said. The Ulhas river that enters from Thane district through the neighbouring Raigad joins the Vasai creek and then joins the Arabian Sea. The 47-km Vasai creek had around 3,000 hectares of mangroves. Of this, half has been destroyed. There is a 10,000 strong fishing community that stays near the creek and the verdant mangroves form a virtual rampart against tidal instabilities and preserve the fragile eco-system.
Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Mumbai/200-acres-of-mangroves-wiped-out/articleshow/4809350.cms,http://20twentytwo.blogspot.com
In what could be one of the biggest destruction of mangroves in the Mumbai metropolitan region, around 200 acres of verdant mangroves in Vasai creek in the Mira-Bhyander belt have been systematically wiped out in a span of just one year. Truckloads of construction debris and garbage were being dumped near the creek. Kachcha roads were being cut deep into the mangrove area so that trucks carrying garbage could go deep into the mangrove forest. When questioned, the truck driver said that they were dumping the garbage on the instructions of the municipal corporation. The western coast has around 8,000 hectares of mangroves, out of which around 3,000 hectares are on the 47 km-long Vasai creek alone. But over the past one year, a large stretch of mangroves here have been reclaimed by builders, allegedly in connivance with the MBMC. Greens say that lot of damage has already been done . "They have reclaimed hundreds of acres of land which had mangroves . This creek is a haven for migratory birds and breeding ground for fishes. The fishing community in Uttan says that they have been seeing a decrease in their catch," Joseph Gonsalves, an environmental activist, said. The Ulhas river that enters from Thane district through the neighbouring Raigad joins the Vasai creek and then joins the Arabian Sea. The 47-km Vasai creek had around 3,000 hectares of mangroves. Of this, half has been destroyed. There is a 10,000 strong fishing community that stays near the creek and the verdant mangroves form a virtual rampart against tidal instabilities and preserve the fragile eco-system.
Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Mumbai/200-acres-of-mangroves-wiped-out/articleshow/4809350.cms,http://20twentytwo.blogspot.com
Re: 200 acres of mangroves wiped out
Large demographic pressure is exerting tremendous stress on the coastal environment. The main culprit in the destruction of mangroves is man. To achieve harmful supremacy over nature, human have destroyed this magnificent ecosystem almost irreparably. Land reclamations and industrial effluents are the major causes of mangroves degradation.
Systematic dumping of all kinds of waste and debris in the mangrove areas destroys them. Land reclamations and industrial effluents are the major causes of mangroves degradation.
This waste/debris creates a barrier preventing the sea water from entering the mangroves and eventually kills the mangroves. In many instances, this is done intentionally to reclaim land for construction activity. There is an urgent need to stop this systematic degradation of mangroves
Mangrove community of Mumbai
In the early nineties, perhaps over 37 sq. km. of mangroves existed in Mumbai, largely in the Thane creek, Mahim, Versova, Gorai and Ghodbunder, with sporadic patches in places such as Bandra, Malabar Hill and Colaba. Mumbai has probably lost 40 per cent of all its mangroves in the past decade or so, largely because of reclamation for housing, slums, sewage treatment and garbage dumps.
Each day, millions of citizens in Mumbai pass these hardy plants imagining they are little more than dirty, muddy weeds growing pointlessly along the shoreline. How little people understand just how important mangroves are to the quality of life of the citizens of Mumbai.
Importance of Mangroves for Mumbai
By trapping silt, mangroves maintain the integrity of Mumbai's shoreline. This is a vital service to the city of Mumbai as it is very prone to erosion, having been built on reclaimed land that is battered by the sea on all three sides. The recent rains in Mumbai and the disaster that followed demonstrated the consequence of tampering with the ecology of fragile ecosystems like mangroves.
Systematic dumping of all kinds of waste and debris in the mangrove areas destroys them. Land reclamations and industrial effluents are the major causes of mangroves degradation.
This waste/debris creates a barrier preventing the sea water from entering the mangroves and eventually kills the mangroves. In many instances, this is done intentionally to reclaim land for construction activity. There is an urgent need to stop this systematic degradation of mangroves
Mangrove community of Mumbai
In the early nineties, perhaps over 37 sq. km. of mangroves existed in Mumbai, largely in the Thane creek, Mahim, Versova, Gorai and Ghodbunder, with sporadic patches in places such as Bandra, Malabar Hill and Colaba. Mumbai has probably lost 40 per cent of all its mangroves in the past decade or so, largely because of reclamation for housing, slums, sewage treatment and garbage dumps.
Each day, millions of citizens in Mumbai pass these hardy plants imagining they are little more than dirty, muddy weeds growing pointlessly along the shoreline. How little people understand just how important mangroves are to the quality of life of the citizens of Mumbai.
Importance of Mangroves for Mumbai
By trapping silt, mangroves maintain the integrity of Mumbai's shoreline. This is a vital service to the city of Mumbai as it is very prone to erosion, having been built on reclaimed land that is battered by the sea on all three sides. The recent rains in Mumbai and the disaster that followed demonstrated the consequence of tampering with the ecology of fragile ecosystems like mangroves.
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