Maharashtra News: After HC Nudge, Forest Dept Launches Website To Track Mangrove Afforestation Projects Across State

Mumbai: The forest department’s mangrove cell has launched its long-overdue platform, where citizens can track details of compensatory afforestation plantations in lieu of various diversion projects in mangrove forest areas across Maharashtra.

The website https://www.mahamangroveafforestation.com has been launched, which as of now includes some 57 projects by authorities like BMC, MMRDA, CIDCO, Railways and various other state agencies; total forest area diverted per project, number of mangrove permitted to be felled, compensatory plantations and present status of the afforestation with photos/videos.

It also has the geotagged location of compensatory plantations, the amount incurred, the total number of plantations per project and their survival rate too.

Compensatory mangrove plantations in Thane district against BMC's Malad STP project

Bombay HC Monitoring Afforestation Compliance

The Bombay High Court recently directed the forest department’s mangrove cell to create the said website, giving all the details pertaining to projects involving the destruction, cutting or affecting mangroves. The Free Press Journal had reported on August 12 that during an HC hearing, the forest department officials told the court that they had started working on the website and it would be launched shortly.

The HC was hearing on BMC executed Sewage Treatment Plant project on the Poisar River in Kandivali, which passes through forest land and against which 100 mangroves will be planted.

Environmentalists Welcome Portal, Question Survival Rates

The environmentalists welcomed the platform by the forest department, stating that the mangrove plantation and survival rate are very poor, and a dedicated website will give some accountability. Anil Pandit from Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG) said, “For projects like MMRDA’s Thane-Bhiwandi metro line, the mangrove cell has identified the land parcels where the compensatory mangrove plantation will be done. However, the plantation has not started yet. There are several projects in Mumbai where large-scale mangrove land has been affected by various projects.” The HC had asked BEAG to submit its report on the said compensatory plantations.

“In the recent HC hearing, the forest officials said that the website is in the preliminary stage and data is still under updation. However, they have finally launched this platform for public information, which is welcomed,” Pandit said.

The website provides information about the hectares of mangrove land affected, the plantation of mangroves in thousands and their survival rates ranging from 60 to 90%.

NGOs Demand Transparency & Detailed Monitoring

Stalin D, Director of NGO Vanshakti said, “While a robust monitoring system is always welcome, care should be taken to ensure that the plantation of mangroves is not done on the feeding grounds used by wetland birds. The survival rates of 90% is doubtful because if such a success rate were real, nature itself would have grown mangroves on that land. Mangroves don't need to be planted; they grow where conditions are perfect and seed dispersal happens.”

Environmentalist Debi Goenka from Conservation Action Trust said, “This is long overdue. It is high time the mangrove cell of the forest department does the work that it is supposed to be doing. It would be necessary for the website to contain full details of the clearance conditions issued to the project proponent by the MCZMA as well as by the MoEF&CC under the Forest Conservation Act, as well as details of the site where the compensatory plantation has been carried out.”

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“In addition, geo-tagged photos of the plantations, as well as the kml files, need to be uploaded. And the survival rates need to be mentioned separately for each plantation site. This will help to ensure that the same site is not "recycled" for multiple projects, and that mangroves are not planted either on mudflats or areas where there are existing mangroves,” Goenka added.