Residents move to protect mangroves

Versova residents have once again come out in strong protest of Jankidevi Public School’s alleged concretisation of a patch behind the school for use as parking space for school buses. Raising environmental concerns, the residents have pointed out that this is a clear violation of the Bombay High Court decision not to allow any construction within 50 metre of Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) 1, given the school’s proximity to the Versova mangroves. The residents have also claimed that despite informing Versova police station about the issue three times, the latter has turned a blind eye to it.

It was only last year that residents of Shiv Kutir Building had put up a strong fight against the school for allegedly gradually encroaching on land to destroy mangroves and extend their premises. One of the residents said, “The school is working hand-in-glove with the authorities. The road belongs to BMC and the school is concretising it before the monsoon to park their buses as otherwise, it gets muddy. However, in the process, there is serious ecological damage being done to the mangrove patch.”

BJP Mumbai secretary, Vivekanand Gupta, produced pictures of the same spot clicked in 2004 and said that the complete patch of mangroves had disappeared within a period of eight years. “The school has no right to encroach or concretise the road as it falls under CRZ-1. This is a clear violation of the Bombay high court order,” he said.