Greens see red over developing salt pans
Mumbai: A city that does not learn from its past is destined for destruction. These are not the words of a wise saint, but the response of any rational Mumbaikar following the Centre and state government’s proposal to open up the 5,500 acres of eco-sensitive salt pans for commercial exploitation.
With Mumbai having less than 0.03 acres per 1,000 people—the lowest in the world—salt pans are the last unspoiled tracts of open space that have defied the onslaught of frenetic construction so far. They serve as organic bulwarks to protect the city from nature’s fury and are natural holding ponds for rainwater, serving as vital dissipation spaces.
Reacting to a TOI report on how some politicians have surreptitiously started cornering salt pan lands through their henchmen, concerned citizens have once again warned of an “ecological disaster’’ and said that the city will have to pay a high price for sacrificing these lands.
Activist Cyrus Guzder, who is also an industrialist, said in the wake of the growing threat of climate change, all buffer zones like the salt pans and mangroves should be preserved. “Are we going to build Mumbai to the last square inch instead of developing new growth centres and establishing new transport links to the mainland?’’ he asked, wondering whether the authorities had learnt any lessons from the deluge of July 26, 2005.
Mumbai, according to him, is vulnerable to storm surges where a combination of high winds and high tide could lead to a rise in sea levels. “Recently, experts warned that coastal areas like Mumbai, especially areas 500 metres and upto 1 km inland, could be totally submerged in the coming decades,’’ said Guzder.
One of Mumbai’s wellknown environmentalist, Bittu Seghal, added, “Opening up the salt pan lands for development is one of the less creative ways for the city to commit suicide. The rise in sea level is inevitable. The city should protect its existing infrastructure, rather than create new infrastructure that would come in harm’s way.’’
Seghal observed, “This is inter-generational colonisation. The youth will be unable to live in the city because of the greed and faulty planning being inflicted on us today.’’
Former municipal commissioner Sharad Kale described the government’s move as “nothing short of disaster’’. “What happens to the coastal regulation zone norms? Will they be diluted too?’’ he asked. Most salt pans fall under the CRZ, which restricts construction activity close to the coastline and mangroves.
“Scientists on the intergovernment panel on climate change have spoken about the imminent rise in sea levels. Mumbai also will be affected. So, what happens to the construction that comes up on salt lands?’’ Kale added.
Nayana Kathpalia of Citispace, an NGO fighting to preserve the remaining open spaces in the city, said salt pans are the city’s lungs and need to be earmarked as compulsory open spaces. Experts say such open spaces are essential for allowing fresh air to circulate. Moreover, the salt pan lands act as a storage space for surplus high-tide water, and reckless building could raise water levels in other areas of the city.