Wallofgreento guard mangroves onstateland
BIO-FENCING IN VERSOVA Pilot project to protect mangroves, beautify area by building wall of plants, will be replicated at state-owned mangrove plots if successful MUMBAI:
In a move to protect mangroves on state-owned lands, the Maharashtra government has taken up a pilot project at one of its plots in Versova, where it will be using bio-fencing to take care of the mangroves.
Bio-fencing refers to building a boundary wall of plants.
Mangrove land owned by government agencies such as the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) and City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) do not fall under the category of ‘reserve forests’ and thus, have no legal protection, officials said.
If the project succeeds, the state plans to use the model for other mangrove plots owned by it. There are many such plots in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
“We have decided to adopt biofencing as a pilot project, which is an eco-friendly way to protect mangroves that are very important for us. In bio-fencing, we create an artificial boundary wall of plants. This makes the area green and beautiful, and helps protect the land from encroachers,” said Sujay Dodal, joint secretary, state forest department.
For the pilot project, the state forest department has identified a Mhada plot in Versova and the bio-fencing work has begun. Dodal also said that for the project, the government plans to use Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
Mangroves maintain water quality and clarity, filter pollutants and prevent soil erosion. They also protect shorelines from damage done by storms, hurricanes and floods.
D Stalin, environmentalist and director, NGO Vanshakti welcomed the government’s move. Stalin said adopting a natural way for protecting mangroves would be a much better idea than building a concrete wall. “Bio-fencing is better for such areas. The government can use associate mangroves to create bio-fencing... There are also enough mangrove species which can act as fences.” In September 2017, the state had adopted a policy to protect mangroves on public and private land by setting up mangrove co-management committees which would conserve mangroves and create employment opportunities there for local residents
₹15 crore: The money allocated in the 2017-18 budget to implement the policy in 50 villages across the coastal districts of Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg
The state also gave approval to expand the policy to 75 more villages in 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the suburbs of mangrove cover in Mumbai in south Mumbai
(approx.) is on government-owned land and remaining in private areas 70%: Rise in mangrove destruction cases in the first nine months of 2018, which is also highest in the past three years, acchoarding to the state mangrove cell
Following directives from the Bombay high court, the state in October this year, formed a mangrove protection and conservation committee for Mumbai, Mumbai Suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts
The 22-member committee headed by the Konkan divisional commissioner will take all decisions in relation to the protection, conservation and restoration of mangroves
Mangroves act as a buffer zone between land and sea, protecting the land from erosion
Mangroves absorb the impact of cyclones
They are a breeding ground for a variety of marine animals
Mangroves also absorb carbon dioxide, making air cleaner to breathe