Maharashtra’s fragile coastal ecosystem is under siege, with over 4,000 acres of mangrove land encroached upon, according to environmentalists. This large-scale encroachment has significantly disrupted the ecological balance, raising alarms about the state’s neglect of coastal conservation.
Mangroves, crucial for protecting coastlines and acting as natural barriers against erosion and flooding, are facing increasing threats from unregulated development and infrastructure expansion. Environmental activist BN Kumar attributed this crisis to inadequate enforcement of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), mandated under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 1991. The CRZ notification requires CZMPs to safeguard coastal ecology, but Maharashtra’s implementation has been fraught with inaccuracies and delays. The Conservation Action Trust (CAT), an NGO committed to environmental protection, released a scathing report titled Coastal Zone Management Plans — Tool for the Protection of Coastal Habitats, highlighting deficiencies in Maharashtra’s CZMPs. Over the past three decades, three versions of the CZMP have been prepared, but none accurately represent ground realities, the report claims.
The report, unveiled by retired Bombay High Court Justice Gautam Patel and CAT trustee Debi Goenka, criticised state authorities for ignoring local fisherfolk communities during the planning process. The report pointed out that the mapping for the 2011 CZMP was delayed and carried out inaccurately between December 2012 and June 2013. Draft maps were released as late as 2017 without explanations for the delays, undermining the credibility of these crucial documents. “Erroneous CZMP mapping has far-reaching consequences, especially for a densely populated coastal city like Mumbai,” said Debi Goenka. The lack of accurate hazard line demarcations and the delay in map releases have left coastal zones vulnerable to unchecked development, endangering both human and marine life. Experts have called for immediate action to correct the flawed CZMPs and curb further encroachments. With mangroves playing a critical role in maintaining biodiversity and mitigating climate risks, their protection must be prioritised to prevent further ecological damage.
