Mumbaikars come under one banner to save mangroves from land sharks….Virat A Singh
At the time when people from all over the country have come forward to fight against corruption, Mumbai is gearing up for a movement to save the remaining swathes of mangroves in the city from land sharks.
Various groups of people concerned about the environment have come under one banner to protect the green lungs. Currently, Mumbais mangrove cover is around 3,000 acres which was close to 6,000 acres in 1995.
Green activists say the need for this joint effort has arisen purely due to government apathy. Oshiwara resident Rishi Aggarwal, who has been fighting for mangrove protection for almost a decade, said, So far, activists worked in pockets and a well-coordinated citywide effort was missing. Now residents from all parts of the city will unite under the banner of Mumbai chapter of Mangrove Society of India (MSI) to take this cause forward.
Harish Pandey, secretary of New Link Road Residents Forum that has been instrumental in enforcing a ban on dumping on mangroves near Link Road in Dahisar said, Be it residents of Oshiwara, Lokhandwala, Bandra, Versova, Goregaon or south Mumbai, its time people form pressure group that force government agencies to act.
However, the fight against the landsharks is easier said than done. With the Mumbai chapter of MSI soon to be in place, the crusaders hope to breathe easy. Stalin Dayanand, Project Director of NGO Vanashakti, said, Several residents fear of attacks and do not complain against land sharks. Now they can approach the group which will take up the matter with various authorities.
Aggarwal said the group is conducting meetings with residents during weekends to create awareness about the issue and chalk out its future course of action. They also plan to use social networking sites to garner support and raise funds. To join the movement, contact: mumbaimangroves@gmail.com
* Mumbais mangrove cover is around 3,000 acres