Journalism of Courage
The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has asked Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) to send an action-taken report within 15 days after observing a kachha bund obstructing the free flow of tidal water leading to degradation and dying of mangroves on JNPT land in Navi Mumbai during a recent visit.
“JNPT is instructed to provide a clarification on the issue and ensure protection of mangroves by removing the bund around the mangroves so that free flow of tidal water is achieved. These steps shall be taken by JNPT immediately and send action taken report within 15 days,” reads the letter dated April 2 to the chairman of JNPT from the MCZMA office.
A team from the MCZMA had visited JNPT area in Uran in March following a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order which was prompted by the petition of Ramdas Janardan Koli, a local fisherman who alleged destruction of wetlands and mangroves by JNPT.
As per the MCZMA site report, a construction of kachha bund of around a metre high surrounding mangrove area from three sides was observed at Belpada Koliwada on Belpada-JNPT warehousing kachha road. The 400-500m long bund is about 100m to 150m wide, the officials observed. “Due to construction of bund, free flow of tidal water into the mangrove area is found affected leading to degradation and dying of mangroves. JNPT representative present during the visit has shown ignorance about the issue,” the MCZMA report stated.
But this is not the only CRZ violation by the JNPT observed by the visiting MCZMA team. According to their affidavit, members observed ongoing earth filling and levelling activity in a 22ha area near the petrol pump at JNPT’s Port User Building (PUB) between the Air Force road and 45m container road at Uran. The affidavit states that JNPT officials mentioned that the site falls in non-CRZ region as per the approved Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP). However, MCZMA members verified the approved CZMP of JNPT of 2005 which clearly shows that road-facing belt of this site falls partly under CRZ 2 and remaining portion is in non-CRZ.
Another instance of CRZ violation by the JNPT is that debris has not been fully removed from the creek and the mangrove re-plantation programme has not been undertaken by the JNPT along the creek, despite a 2013 MCZMA directive.
JNPT claims all construction and activity undertaken by it is done only after receiving the necessary environmental clearance. “A port has to be developed in a CRZ area. All our activities take place only after we get ECs and after following all the conditions mentioned in the EC. The debris has been removed from the creek and there is a procedure to be followed for mangrove re-plantation which we are following. As for our activities blocking tidal water, we always get clearance from Central Water And Power Research Station, Pune, which checks if our activities will harm the flow pattern before granting permission,” said N N Kumar, chairman of JNPT. “We will give all the necessary details to the MCZMA. We cannot and do not function outside the law.”
anjali.lukose@expressindia.com
