With over 40 per cent of its green cover wiped out within a span of two decades, the coastal stretch and creek areas of Thane, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai has lost a major chunk of potential economy, lamented green warriors. Over the years, there has been a lot of awareness among citizens about the ecological benefits of protecting and conserving mangroves, including their ability to reduce the toxicity and pollution in the environment. “In the 90s, the MMR area had over 37sqkm of mangroves, especially in parts of Bandra, Thane creek, Ghodbunder and Gorai. Since then, 40 per cent of these mangroves have been uprooted to make way for developmental projects,” said Sanjay Joshi, an environmentalist. Dr Prasad Karnik, president of city-based NGO Paryavaran Dakshata Manch, said, “The roots of mangroves here purified the toxic waste water released in the creek by absorbing the heavy metal content in it. It gave a variety of fish and crab species a safe place to breed and feed. However, these mangrove roots are now filled with garbage, which has drastically dropped the fish count, and thus drowned the fisheries business here.” “The disappearing mangrove cover has increased the frequency and occurrences of floods, destructing land and property worth crores, and further eating into the government funds. The growing pollution in the water and the absence of the purifying mangroves have hike the odour of the creek front, thus devaluing the property value of an otherwise coveted plot of land,” he added.
2016, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.