Locals, BMC remove 20K kg trash from Charkop mangroves
Around 100 residents, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation workers and NGOS joined hands to clear 20,000 kg of trash from the Charkop mangroves in Kandivli on Friday.
The move comes a week after the mangroves at sector 8, Charkop, were set on fire by unidentified people for the fourth time this year and 14th since last year. The four-hour clean-up drive was conducted by NGOS Aarey Conservation Group, River March and Go Green Foundation. “We were glad to have conducted the drive on Ambedkar Jayanti and were very happy with Friday’s turnout. We hope that our efforts will help stop the fires that have been troubling residents since last year,” said Mili Shetty, a Charkop resident. “We requested the ward officer to depute guards in the area to ensure no encroachments crop up within the mangroves.”
Civic officials said the drive would continue for another week. “Our 15 staff members helped clean up the mangroves. They will continue to work over the weekend and next week,” said Sahebrao Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner, R-south. “We will be deputing a field marshal at the site from Saturday.” Gaikwad added that the ward would also observe a no-plastic week from Monday. “The idea is for people to stop using plastic bags and try to use eco-friendly bags. This will help reduce trash that ends up in mangroves or nullahs,” he said.
Mangrove cell officials said that after the clean-up, all encroachments will be removed from the site. “We have got state clearance for large-scale demolition drive against encroachments. This patch must be restored before the monsoon to prevent flooding,” said Makarand Ghodke, assistant conservator of forest, Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit.