Protecting mangroves

Acting on a petition filed by Save Andheri Versova Environment Forum, a Mumbai-based non-governmental organisation, the Mumbai High Court appointed a high-level committee and a local panel to protect and rejuvenate mangroves in suburban Versova. It also directed the Union government to file an affidavit detailing steps taken for preservation of the plantations. The committees have been directed to take steps to replace missing warning signs about high tide and to repaint illegible notices. They have also been asked to deepen and widen channels for percolation of creek waters and to remove existing embankments entirely. The judges have also told the committees to ensure that reclaimed Coastal Regulatory Zones (CRZs) are not used as sites for dumping construction material or debris. The committees will submit their compliance report soon.