Mumbai: In a first-of-its-kind effort, a buried mangrove stretch spanning four hectares in Vashi has been successfully restored by the forest department. To achieve this feat truckloads of debris dumped over the mangroves at Survey Number 17 in Vashi village, near the railway station was removed.
"This is the first time that a mangrove burial site is being restored in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)," said NatConnect Foundation, an NGO that has been campaigning alongside several environmental groups to protect and revive mangroves.
Despite a Bombay High Court ruling in September 2018 mandating the protection and conservation of mangroves, little effort has been made to restore destroyed sites, noted B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation. He pointed out that several areas in MMR, including Uran, Ulwe, Kharghar, Sion-Panvel Highway, and Chembur, have witnessed large-scale mangrove destruction, but no concrete steps have been taken to rejuvenate these coastal ecosystems.
Environmental activist Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagar Shakti, emphasized that mangroves have a natural ability to rejuvenate without human intervention. He cited Pagote, where mangroves regrew after tidal waters submerged dumped debris, despite authorities failing to act.
Forest officials are now encouraging public engagement, with Range Forest Officer Sudhir Manjare inviting nature lovers to visit the restored site.
Meanwhile, NatConnect has proposed the creation of a mangrove walk zone at the Vashi restoration site before the plants grow fully. The suggested mangrove trail is opined toserve as an awareness and educational initiative, highlighting the ecological significance of mangroves as carbon sinks, breeding grounds for marine life, and natural filters of pollutants.
NatConnect further suggested that Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) planned Mangrove Park could be set up at Vashi itself, rather than in the Ghansoli-Airoli stretch, where it could potentially disturb existing dense mangrove patches.
Building a wooden trail at the Vashi site while undertaking mangrove plantation would ensure smooth execution without damaging the fragile ecosystem. Kumar recalled that the construction of the Gorai-Dahisar mangrove trail was challenging as authorities had to carefully place wooden structures through gaps without disturbing existing plants. Implementing the project at Vashi before full mangrove growth would be a much easier alternative.
Environmentalists now urge NMMC and concerned authorities to consider this proposal, ensuring that mangrove conservation and urban awareness initiatives go hand in hand.
