‘JNPT destroyed 7K mangrove trees for port expansion’

MUMBAI: The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has destroyed mangrove forests outside the area allocated for port expansion, an inspection of the site has revealed. The Raigad district administration said that around 7,000 mangrove trees were killed across two locations in Uran, Navi Mumbai, after being poisoned by toxic effluents from the port.

A site inspection was carried on Thursday by the district administration in the presence of a representative from JNPT to check whether any mangroves were destroyed outside the permitted 19.5 hectares (ha) mangrove zone for its 200-ha container terminal project.

The inspection found that mangrove trees on a six-ha patch (with approximately 5,500 trees) were destroyed near a site where the railway tracks were being placed. Another 1.2 ha patch (approximately 1,500 trees) were destroyed at the site for a jetty near Nhava, said Sandeep Bhandare, the circle officer (revenue department), who led the inspection.

“Both locations fall outside the 19.5 ha mangrove area allowed to be destroyed for the project by the Centre and Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA),” said Bhandare. A report has been prepared to highlight the scale of violations and will be submitted to the sub-divisional officer for further action, added Bhandare.

JNPT chief manager, SV Madbhavi said, “We need to verify these findings. We have only removed 16.5 ha of 19.5 ha. Secondly, areas, where 4,550 mangrove trees were lost, have been rejuvenated with five-foot-high mangroves currently there. No other violation has been reported.”