No permission for hacking mangroves in Mira-Bhayandar: Bombay high court
Shibu Thomas, Times News Network, June 7 2017
The Bombay high court on Wednesday stepped in to protect around 2.85 lakh square metres of mangroves that would have been affected by the Mira-Bhayandar municipal corporation’s plans to clean 12 creeks in the area.
A division bench of Justice Vidyasagar Kanade and Justice Anant Badar declined permission to the MBMC to hack mangroves in the 12 creeks. The MBMC had claimed that the mangroves need to be hacked to remove debris, garbage and plastic bags in the 12 creeks. The mangroves were obstructing civic work to clear plastic, they claimed.
In October 2005, the HC while hearing a petition by BEAG had banned the hacking of mangroves as well the dumping of debris on mangrove plots. Subsequently, it had said that permission of the court would have to be sought in case of public utility and development works that had to be carried out in mangrove areas.