National Green Tribunal asks Raigad collector to submit report on felling of mangroves and waste dumping

Pune: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench in Pune has directed the collector of Raigad district to submit a final report on the felling of mangroves on 50 acres of land at Dhutum and waste material being dumped in the intertidal sensitive zone of Kegaon beach at Gavhan Koliwada, both within the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO)'s jurisdiction. The tribunal has also served a notice on CIDCO in the matter which is slated for hearing on June 10.
The tribunal was hearing on April 1 an application filed by the Maharashtra Small Scale Traditional Fish Workers Union. It submitted evidence of illegal reclamation of the intertidal zone, destruction of mangroves, creation of a parking lot on reclaimed CRZ-I land, and dumping of non-biodegradable and hazardous waste. The union demanded removal of illegal structures and encroachments in the region, along with a departmental inquiry against the officials responsible. They also called for a comprehensive survey of the damaged areas and urged the restoration of the affected sites to their original condition.
In an earlier hearing, the NGT had told the Raigad collector to furnish a report. According to the collector's report, approximately 50 acres of mangroves were illegally cleared by eight residents of Dhutum village, leading to the registration of an FIR at Uran police station. The report stated that the land in question falls under the jurisdiction of CIDCO, which must now initiate further action. However, an action-taken report from CIDCO is still awaited by the collector's office.
Meanwhile, the union raised concern over illegal land reclamation in the intertidal zone of Kegaon beach. The district administration confirmed that the land falls under the authority of the range forest officer, mangrove cell, Raigad-Alibag. A complaint was lodged by the forest guard at Uran police station against unidentified individuals for dumping stones and debris at the site. The mangrove cell was asked to submit an action-taken report and is tasked with clearing the dumped material.
Alongside this, waste dumping was also reported at Gavhan Koliwada, where two surveyed plots are privately owned, and the majority, about five hectares, belong to CIDCO. The district collector instructed CIDCO to file a complaint, remove the accumulated plastic and other waste, and carry out ecological restoration of the site.
"In sum and substance, the district collector's report suggests that reports are called for from the above officials/authorities and the same are in the process of being submitted. Therefore, we expect that a final report shall be submitted by the district collector, Raigad, after collecting the action-taken reports from all the authorities concerned within a period of four weeks," the tribunal said in its April 1 order, which was uploaded last week.
In view of these developments, the collector recommended that CIDCO be formally added as a respondent in the case. "The sum and substance of the above-cited report also suggests that CIDCO is the authority, which needs to take appropriate corrective measures and hence CIDCO is found to be a necessary party by us in the present original application, as suggested by the district collector, Raigad. We direct the applicant to implead CIDCO as a respondent in the original application. Respondents are directed to submit their reply affidavits within four weeks," the bench of justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Vijay Kulkarni said.