A scrap godown which had illegally sprung up on lush mangrove land behind Morwa village near Bhayandar was completely gutted due to a massive fire which broke out at around 11:30 am on Thursday. According to officials from the fire brigade attached to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) they received the call at around 11:50 am when they were participating in a drill organised on occasion of the Fire Service Week (14 to 20 April).
Around 85 personnel along with nine fire tenders and two water tankers immediately reached the spot and doused the raging flames after a three-hour long fire-fighting operation. Nobody was injured in the blaze that triggered small explosions apparently due to the presence of hazardous chemicals and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.
Scrap Godown Fire | Image accessed by FPJ
Scrap Godown Fire | Image accessed by FPJ
“As many as 15 cylinders were safely removed from the spot, averting more destruction of mangroves. While the exact cause is yet to be ascertained, the rising temperature coupled by heat generated by toxic material is suspected to have triggered the spontaneous combustion.” said a firefighter requesting anonymity.
While scrap material worth lakhs of rupees were reduced to ashes, a vast patch of healthy mangroves was gutted in flames further escalating the irreparable damages caused to the environment.
Officials from the local police station and revenue department also reached the spot and started investigations. Owned by a person identified as Shaikh, the huge makeshift scrap godown which also housed a permanent RCC structure had been illegally constructed by dumping construction debris on the mangrove land, raising a serious question mark on the efficiency of the revenue department and the MBMC towards stopping illegal constructions and protection of mangroves in eco-sensitive zones.
A 50-meter buffer zone is typically designated around mangroves to protect them and the coastal environment. The judiciary has imposed a complete ban on any type of construction activities within the buffer zone.
