Navi Mumbai: Revenue officials from Panvel Tehsil registered a case against unidentified persons for allegedly filling a wetland and destroying mangroves in Kamothe.
The case was registered following a joint inspection of the site found around 100-110 mangrove trees dead due to illegal filling.
The FIR filed by revenue officer Santosh Pandurang Kachare on September 8 said the site near the Hanuman temple was inspected by CIDCO, the Mangrove Cell and Panvel Tehsil officials, wherein it was observed that the mangroves had been destroyed by blocking of tidal water flow with a bund.
The bund, measuring approximately 120 meters in length, 1 meter wide, and 1.5 meters high was built on the creek on land Survey No 368 and 56.
Kachare filed the FIR under section 15 of the Environment Protection Act which provides for imprisonment of up to 5 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.
“This appears to be just the tip of the iceberg as large-scale destruction has been happening along the Kharghar-Kamothe stretch and none of the authorities have acted,” said NatConnect foundation director BN Kumar.
The development also exposes CIDCO's false claims that it has completed the process of handing over mangroves in Navi Mumbai to the Forest Department for conservation, Kumar said.
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