Mumbai: In a bid to balance development with ecology, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to raise mangrove nurseries on a stretch of land in Eksar, Borivali, to compensate for the large-scale destruction of mangroves caused by the Versova-Bhayandar Sea Link (VBSL).
The civic body has been offered 84 acres by M/s Dynamics Clubs and Resorts Pvt Ltd at a symbolic rent of just ₹1 per year. Of this, around 15 acres will be chosen to cultivate mangrove nurseries. The saplings nurtured there will later be transplanted in Bhayandar and along the 22-km sea link once construction is underway. On Saturday, the BMC invited objections and claims from individuals or companies regarding the land, with a 15-day deadline for responses, according to report by HT.
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According to the bridges department, about 9,000 mangrove trees lie directly in the path of the sea link’s piers, while another 50,000 will be affected by the “shadow areas” created by the elevated structure. “To make up for this, the BMC will be replanting mangroves at a ratio of 1:3, three trees for each one axed down or affected,” an official said. “This is the first time the BMC is taking such a proactive step to replant mangroves in huge numbers.”
The commitment is part of the Environmental Management Plan submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC). The civic body has promised to plant over 137,000 saplings in Bhayandar and Chandrapur. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) had earlier directed the BMC to ensure these plantations were in place before the sea link becomes operational.
For environmentalists, the project is significant because the Eksar plot lies along the same coast as the VBSL, ensuring similar salinity and soil conditions—factors crucial for the survival of transplanted mangroves. Civic officials admit survival rates of saplings can be unpredictable, which is why more than the required 130,000 will be planted.
If successful, the Eksar nurseries will not just replace lost greenery but also reaffirm Mumbai’s attempt to grow with its mangroves intact—a rare harmony between urban ambition and natural resilience.
