The Mumbai city collector will ask the police to file a first information report (FIR) against the commanding officer of the Indian Army at the Sagar Matha Club in Navy Nagar, Colaba, after alleged environmental violations came to light at the club.
Shivaji Jondhale, Mumbai city collector and district magistrate, said debris dumping carried out in intertidal areas on defence land was illegal as no permission was taken from the district administration. “Based on directions from this office to investigate the area, it has come to my notice that violations have been identified by the forest department. I will be directing the police to file an FIR against the commanding officer and directions will be issued to restore the area,” said Jondhale.
While officials from the club refused to issue an official comment, an army officer reiterated that work was done to address erosion concerns. “Only stones have been dumped using an army excavator machine to stop this erosion, which would otherwise have led to flooding during monsoon,” the army officer said.
The collector’s decision comes two days after officials from the forest department investigated allegations of mangrove destruction and illegal reclamation at the site. HT had reported on April 18 that complaints by environmentalists, including a member of the Bombay high court (HC)-appointed state mangroves committee submitted photos of stones and debris being dumped using an excavator machine less than 50m from mangroves across an acre.
“We found that debris in the form of stones had been dumped less than 50 metres from mangrove trees, which is a violation,” said KS Pole, forest officer from the state mangrove cell who visited the site.
Destruction of mangrove forests across Maharashtra and construction within 50m from mangrove trees was banned by the Bombay HC first in 2005. In September, the HC bench of justice Abhay Oka and justice Riyaz Chagla passed its final order upholding the 50m rule. The HC declared the said areas as coastal regulation zone (CRZ) I, where construction is prohibited.
“We filed a punchnama and submitted details with our divisional forest officer (DFO) over the weekend highlighting that an existing garden was being extended toward the seaward side at the club. No mangroves were destroyed,” said Pole.
The DFO, mangrove cell, said a final report will soon be dispatched to the district administration. “It is the collector’s prerogative as far as action in the matter is concerned,” said Vikas Jagtap, DFO, mangrove cell.
Colaba-based social activist Sanjay Kokate who was present during the forest department’s investigation, alleged information was being concealed. “A truck dumping debris was caught by mangrove cell. However, the army surrounded the forest officers forcing them to conceal this information,” he said. “The matter will be resolved only after it goes to the court.”