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To stop rampant encroachment on mangroves, 669 CCTV cameras will soon be installed in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), officials said on Wednesday. The Maharashtra forest department floated a tender for the Rs120 crore project and released a request for the proposal.
Nearly a week ago, the state government had approved a two-phase plan for 195 eco-sensitive areas. The cost for the project will be borne by the Maharashtra Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. With the CCTV network and a centralised monitoring system, officials said the video surveillance will cover mangrove zones in Mumbai, Thane, Bhiwandi, Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Uran.
SV Rama Rao, head of the forest department’s mangrove cell, said the high-priority project also seeks to assure people that the environment is being protected and nurtured. BN Kumar, director of the non-profit NatConnect Foundation, who was campaigning for CCTV surveillance, expressed satisfaction over the development while claiming that mangroves and wetlands have been under attack by the land mafia and the construction industry, which dumps debris in wetlands.
The proposed network, however, should also cover mangrove belts under the jurisdiction of government agencies such as the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), he added. At the time of approving the project a week ago, Rama Rao reportedly said Ernst & Young was appointed as a consultant for the project nearly two years ago. The firm helped the forest department’s field officers study the entire MMR stretch to identify the eco-sensitive locations.
In September last year, during the 25th meeting on mangroves protection, Konkan Divisional Commissioner Dr Mahendra Kalyankar had also instructed all government agencies to coordinate their efforts to save mangroves. It was decided to install CCTVs to monitor the disturbance of the sensitive mangrove area. The participants, including Rama Rao through video conference, discussed preparation of maps every six months using satellite images and take preventive action if any changes are found.
