MUMBAI: Mangroves between Dharavi and Bandra-Kurla Complex will soon be declared as a reserved forest, state minister for environment and climate change Aaditya Thackeray announced at a conference to launch Wildlife Week in the city on Friday.
Virendra Tiwari, chief conservator, mangrove conservation cell, said, “In 1991, 184 hectares of mangroves along Mithi river between Dharavi and BKC had been declared a protected forest. Of that, seven hectares is part of Mahim nature park, which is a reserved forest. The balance will now be declared a reserved forest.”
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who launched the logo for Pench tiger reserve, said there was a need to revisit our development model, as it would lead us all to destruction. “We should not have crazy concepts of development. Awareness about wildlife and conservation is very much needed among politicians as we frame laws and interpret them as per our convenience,” he said.
Thackeray said the new Coastal Zone Management Plan was approved and it will lead to newer developments. “We must understand, as houses grow, we need to provide water, for which lakhs of trees have to be cut; sewage needs to be disposed off too,” he said.
