Is NMSEZ IT hub in Maha coming up on wetlands?
As the State govt gave permission for converting NMSEZ into an integrated industrial area to set IT hub, environmentalists described it as a ‘recipe for disaster’ as the facilities have been planned on mangroves and wetlands of Uran
The Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed forest and environment departments to probe into green groups’ complaints against the destruction of mangroves and wetlands for the construction of IT hub on erstwhile NMSEZ lands.
As the State government gave permission for converting NMSEZ into an integrated industrial area to set up a massive IT hub, environmentalists described it as a ‘recipe for disaster’ as the facilities have been planned on mangroves and wetlands of Uran.
In response to a complaint filed by NatConnect Foundation, the CMO informed the foundation that it has asked forest secretary B Venugopal Reddy and environment principal secretary Pravin Darade to look into the issue.
Talking to Bizz Buzz NatConnect director BN Kumar said, “It is not an auto-generated mail since it is specifically marked to the senior officers.”
He cited the mail from Shinde’s official email id, “We shall follow-up via the RTI Act route.” The Foundation complained to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) and the Chief Minister that CIDCO allotted as much as 1,250 hectares of mangrove and wetland-dominated area in Dronagiri to NMSEZ. The destruction of mangroves and wetlands here has been going on unchecked much against the orders from the High Court appointed high-powered committees. In view of this, the upcoming project is bound to cause disasters, it said.
As per the High Court ruling of September 2018, all mangroves are supposed to have been handed over to the Forest department for protection and conservation, but there is no account of the tidal water plants under NMSEZ. On a complaint by the NGO, the Forest Secretary has earlier asked the Mangrove Cell to respond. But, “we have not heard anything further”, Kumar said.
The reckless landfill on mangroves and wetlands is already causing floods in villages and paddy fields, Nandakumar Pawar, director of Sagarshakti said. This is because the construction has interfered with the free flow of intertidal water and raising of land levels for building the Dronagiri node, he pointed out.
“The project proponents might call us doomsayers, but nature has already begun to strike back with roads built on mangroves and wetlands developing wide cracks and many villages reeling under floods,” Pawar said.
One of the major areas in question is the 289-hectare intertidal Panje wetland which is also supposed to be a holding pond as envisaged by CIDCO as a flood mitigation measure. With CIDCO designating the holding pond area as part of the NMSEZ sector 16 to 28, it will see massive construction and the holding pond disappears, Pawar said warning about floods in the area as not an inch of land will be left for absorbing the excess water.
It is a matter of common sense that wetlands act as sponges to hold water and the urban planners unfortunately lack it, Pawar said and pointed out otherwise, they would not plan such disastrous projects.
The State government vide a GR of February 17, has permitted the development of IT related projects like education and knowledge parks and university of eminence. As per the GR, the integrated industrial area will also have industry academic partnership to promote training and skill development programme through skill, development centres, R&D centres, training centres, digital centres, information, technology centres, training centres for art, performance and sports etc, apart from a medical school along with hospital and related infrastructure.
