Garbage, dry grass set on fire at Sanpada destroys mangroves

NAVI MUMBAI: Residents found mangrove trees set ablaze on Palm Beach Road at Sanpada on Tuesday.

“People often burn garbage and other waste material and it is affecting mangroves. Unfortunately, the authorities concerned are turning a blind eye to the menace,” said Rajesh Puri, 35, a resident of Nerul.

A week ago, around 12 trees along Palm Beach Road caught fire at Sanpada when some people burnt garbage. As some residents gathered at the spot, the culprits fled. The residents doused the fire.

“Several trees at Vashi, Nerul, Belapur and Panvel were either burnt or injected with medicines in the past few months. Mangrove are being cut by slum dwellers for firewood. It will directly have an impact on the environment,” said Mahesh Salve, 42, a resident of Kopar Khairane.

Abba Ranvare, an environmentalist from Nerul, said: “Villagers go to answer nature’s call near the mangroves and they smoke there, leading to such incidents. This has happened in Seawoods, Ulwe and Uran. We have informed the NMMC about it several times.”

Chandrakant Taide, assistant municipal commissioner of NMMC, said: “It is difficult to catch hold of people who burn dry grass. It is not possible to deploy security guards at all the places. We weed out dry grass along mangroves every year between February and April.”

BACHCHAN KUMAR Mangroves along the Palm Beach Road in Sanpada caught fire on Tuesday.