Encroachments on Mangroves Exposed in CAT’s Coastal Zone Report

Mumbai’s coastal ecosystems, including vital mangrove stretches, have been under increasing threat due to the ineffective implementation of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), according to a report by the Conservation Action Trust (CAT). The report, released by retired Bombay High Court justice Gautam Patel and CAT trustee Debi Goenka, underscores significant flaws in the CZMP, which is supposed to protect coastal habitats as mandated by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification.

Despite the CRZ notification coming into force in 1991, the report reveals that the CZMP has been inaccurate and incomplete, resulting in widespread encroachments on mangrove and coastal lands across Mumbai and its Metropolitan Region (MMR). Key areas such as Dahisar, Goregaon, Charkop, Mahul, Bandra, and Nerul have been particularly affected. The CAT report points out several alarming examples of encroachment. In Uttan, Dahisar, 700 hectares of land have been inaccurately demarcated as an intertidal zone, allowing for potential development in what should be a protected coastal area. The report suggests that this misrepresentation is likely a deliberate attempt by authorities to facilitate the transformation of this region into a recreation and tourism development zone, as part of the Draft Development Plan (DP) for 2034.

Similarly, the situation in Goregaon’s Pahadi area raises serious concerns. Despite being identified as “Deemed Forests” in 1997, over 500 acres of dense mangroves were destroyed post-1996. The report highlights how this destruction was concealed during the environmental clearance process, and how portions of the mangrove area are now being repurposed for high-profile developments like the National Judicial Academy and the Maharashtra National Law University. In 2013, the Ministry of Environment and Forest had suspended environmental clearance for these projects, but in 2018, the state government offered the land for development, bypassing environmental safeguards. The report also reveals alarming developments at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). Google Earth images from 2000 show that reclamation had begun in BKC, but by 2020, the entire area, including the creek, had been fully reclaimed. This reclamation, the report claims, has exacerbated flooding risks in the area, which is a prime concern for urban planning in flood-prone coastal zones.

Debi Goenka, an environmentalist and trustee at CAT, emphasised that the CRZ Notification mandates that infrastructure projects in coastal areas must be approved based on accurate CZMPs. However, over the past three decades, the government has released three versions of the CZMP, all of which have been flawed and incomplete. These inaccuracies have allowed municipalities and planning agencies to exploit the weaknesses in the CZMP, leading to widespread coastal encroachment and destruction of vital ecosystems. The report concludes that while the discrepancies in mapping may appear to be simple errors, they have severe consequences for Mumbai’s already fragile coastal environment. The ongoing encroachments on mangrove forests and coastal areas underscore the urgent need for accurate, comprehensive, and enforceable CZMPs to protect the city’s coastal biodiversity and mitigate environmental risks.