Construction of a retaining wall along the Vakola nallah by Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has enraged activists.
Activists opine that the wall will destroy the mangroves next to the nallah, which is in direct violation of the Bombay High Court order of 2005, ensuring protection of mangroves in Maharashtra.
“Construction of the wall will stop saline water from flowing into the mangroves, thus killing them completely. Over a period of time, land will be filled with debris and land created. All this is done by a government body despite clear laws for protection of mangroves,” said Rishi Aggarwal, Mumbai Environment Social Network.
Girish Raut, member of the Mithi River Sansad, said that walls of mud and soil were built from Nandadeep garden in Kala Nagar up to Kalina, which isolated the mangrove jungle from the Mithi River.
“The retaining wall will be an obstacle, which will not allow a
mixture of saline and river water to flow into the mangroves,”
said Raut.
“There were service bunds which are now being replaced by cement walls, which will go deep into the soil. So the saline water will not reach the mangrove jungle,” said Raut. Raut says that out of the 900 acres reclaimed land in Bandra Kurla Complex, 500 acres were mangrove forests.
“Construction of the wall at Vakola nallah is a part of the Mithi River project. We will ensure that the mangroves are not destroyed,” said Dilip Kawatkar, public relations officer, MMRDA.
