HI-TECH CCTV CAMERAS IN 15 PLACES TO SAVE MANGROVES IN NAVI MUMBAI

NAVI MUMBAI: In an effort to protect mangroves, the forest department has chosen 15 places across Navi Mumbai for installing hi-tech CCTV cameras in the next few months.

Construction debris and other garbage are often dumped near mangroves for the past several years. However, the forest department is unable to take action against the culprits due to lack of evidence. So, the green activists from the city have been demanding such cameras to protect the mangroves.

Presently, there are only two CCTV cameras near the mangroves at Vashi village along the Sion-Panvel highway. No one has dumped debris in that area ever since the forest department installed cameras in 2018.

DS Kukre, range forest officer of Navi Mumbai mangrove cell, said, “Last month, we conducted a survey to understand the places that are in need of vigilance round the clock. People transport debris to those places at night. It is not possible to catch hold of them just by patrolling. Therefore, we made a list of 15 such places and sent it to the higher authorities requesting them to install CCTV cameras. Recently they approved our request.”

The new places are scattered across different nodes such as Airoli, Koparkhairane, Nerul, Belapur, Palm Beach Road among others.

“Hi-tech cameras will be installed at those places and they will convey an alert as soon as they capture a vehicle inside the mangroves,” Kukre added.

BN Kumar, 65, an environmentalist from Vashi, said, “Undoubtedly, this is a very good move.”