Parts of wetland area at Palm Beach destroyed

Mumbai: Officials from the state forest department have found the wetland area at Palm Beach Road, Nerul destructed after they conducted an inspection on the site earlier in the week.

The inspection was undertaken on the direction of the Bombay high court following a petition by Sunil Agarwal, a resident of Nerul, regarding proposed reclamation of 80 hectares of wetland.

The petitioner who also joined the inspection along with forest officers and officials from The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) stated, “ At some parts of the site, it was found that the land was covered with debris up to three meters. The officials took a note of it and filed the panchnama. We are trying to make the court understand that that such kind of dumping of debris could destroy the mangroves and water body in the area.”

The Asian Age had last week reported that Nerul residents have requested the mangrove cell to carry out an inspection of the wetland area behind NRI complex for a detailed report, as directed by the Bombay high court. Sunil and Shruti Agarwal, a couple residing at NRI Complex, has recently moved the court through a public interest litigation against CIDCO, Mistry Construction and the state  alleging that under the garb of a golf course, a huge residential complex is coming up on the wetland area.

While Mr. Agarwal has also mentioned in the PIL about the proposed reclamation of a 12-hectare land near TS Chankaya in Nerul, the forest officers could not carry out inspection at the site, as there was no information on exact land markings with the CIDCO at that time. 

The Forest Department will be again inspecting the entire site on April 2. A complete report on the wetland area will be submitted to the High Court on April 4. When contacted, officials from the forest department refused to comment as the matter was sub judice.