Mumbai: About 500 residents of Versova and members of the NGO Save Forum pooled in old sarees, worn-out dupattas, spare towels and torn dhotis to make a 1.2-km long, four-row fence in order to protect the mangroves off the Versova-Link Road on Sunday.
The protesters held up posters and banners saying, “Why aren’t the Versova mangroves declared as protected forest area? CM please reply’’ at six spots across the road, while
others tied together the pieces of cloth to make the fence as a sign of protest.
Fed up with the lack of action on the part of authorities, the residents had decided to take the matter in their own hands. “Today, we have mocked the authorities false sense of concern for the environment. Despite the heavy rains, hundreds of residents, volunteers and fishermen showed up with posters as well as banners, but not a single government official was present. The support was overwhelming,’’ said Rajesh Vora, secretary of Save Forum.
Usha Kiran, chairperson of Save Forum, said that the state government had in complete violation of the CRZ rules allotted creek land that was full of lush mangroves for the development of various housing societies in 161, Versova. “We had filed a writ petition, forcing the state government to assure the high court that it would take immediate remedial action by protecting and rejuvenating the mangroves. Bureaucrats sitting inside Mantralaya and the BMC kept on filing affidavits repeatedly, taking oaths in the name of the environment and making a false show of sincerity but did not do anything concrete,’’ said Kiran, adding that the last assurance given by the authorities was of erecting a chain link fence along the high tide line (HTL) to prevent the dumping of debris from construction sites. “The assurance was given by the deputy chief engineer (planning and design) in February 2005. But he has not even floated tenders till now,’’ said Kiran.
She said that the protest was held because the residents of the area and the Save Forum were now fed up with hollow promises.
“A sum of Rs 7.4 crore has already been sanctioned for the chain link project, out of which Rs 1.28 crore is already with the BMC since the past three years. This highlights their indifference, disinterest and points to some hidden agenda,’’ said Vora.
CALL TO SAVE GREEN COVER: Fed up with the authorities’ lack of action, the residents decided to take the matter in their own hands by making 1.2 km long cloth fence to protect the mangroves off the Versova-Link Road
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