HC seeks govt record on mangroves

Mumbai, Aug 8 (UNI) Expressing displeasure over the exclusion of more than 50 per cent mangroves in and around the Metropolis from the notified protected forests area, the Bombay High Court today directed the State government to produce all concerned record in the court tommorrow.

While hearing numerous applications filed by different public agencies and private organisations seeking permissions to cut mangroves, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice D Y Chandrachud expressed displeasure that the State government had still not included more that 50 per cent of mangrove areas into notified protected forest cover, despite specific orders of the court.

Last year while dispossing off a public interest litigation of Bombay Enviornmental Action Group (BEAG), the court had directed the State government to map mangroves in and around Mumbai through satellites and notify those areas as protected forests. Though the State identified roughly 60 square km area as mangroves, but till date has notified only 27 square km out of it.

Concerned with the fate of rest of mangroves, the court today directed the State government to produce all record related to mangroves, showing how much area still required to be notified, how much more area was required by different public agencies like railways, CIDCO as well as private organisations. The matter will now come up for further hearing tommorrow.

UNI