About 500 trucks of debris and soil were dumped at wetlands in Mumbai's Wadala area to level the land and to operate an illegal pay-and-park. Police have booked three persons in the case on Monday, April 20, for destroying wetlands.
The complaint was filed by the Salt Department, Government of India. After the FIR at the Wadala Police Station. The complainant was identified as 55-year-old Jagdish Walunjwani. In his complaint published by the Hindustan Times, he stated that he received information about land encroachment on the salt pan land.
The wetlands are situated along the Eastern Freeway in Wadala, where the accused, identified as Vishal Gupta, Rajesh Sarayya and Mangeshi Vichare, were involved in the construction of an illegal parking lot.
Aaditya Thackeray Seeks Environment Ministry Intervention
Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray shared a newspaper cutout and the South Environment Ministry intervention in the case and the MoEF&CC asked the ruling Maharashtra government to remove this debris and restore the wetlands, which have now been filled with debris.
"An entire wetland in Wadala, Mumbai, was wiped out for an illegal parking lot… run by 3 crooks… dumping 500 truckloads of debris!," Thackeray wrote on X.
Sena UBT MLA raised the issue of security and intelligence failure of the state government. "If this can happen in the absolute centre of Mumbai, with a wetland, not knowing 500 trucks are dumping debris, isn’t this also a major security and intelligence failure, indicating authorities are unaware of happenings in the city?"
"As for nature, the government that loves environmental vandalism can plan its next climate conference or awards on this very site! Tagging @moefcc if it realises its duty to protect the environment to step in and ask the Govt of Maharashtra to remove this debris and restore the wetlands," Thackeray went on X.
Meanwhile, two accused named in the FIR, Vishal Gupta and Mangeshi Vichare, were working for Sarayya, a group which operated the illegal parking lot. Senior Salt Department officials were informed, following which a formal complaint was lodged with the police.
A case has been registered under Sections 324 (mischief) and 329 (criminal trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 3 (mischief causing damage to public property) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.