Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Challenges CIDCO's Plan to Convert Wetlands and Mangroves into Commercial 'Open Spaces

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation in a strongly worded letter has raised objection over CIDCO’s plan to redesignate Wetlands and Mangroves as open spaces' for commercial use. In Navi Mumbai's development strategy, the Municipal Corporation intends to allocate land for public facilities, designating well-situated areas to enhance the lives of residents. Lately, construction firms and political figures have been pushing to eliminate these land-use restrictions, promoting the idea of designating wetlands, lakes, and regions near sewage treatment facilities as open spaces. CIDCO intends to submit this proposal to its board in pursuit of state approval, possibly endangering essential civic services in the city.

According to a FPJ report, the muncipal corporation which has planning authority, has raised concerns regarding CIDCO's changes to criteria, stressing that the 29.9 hectares affected by the 50-meter mangrove buffer, classified as a 'non-development zone,' cannot accommodate parks and recreational areas. Due to the swift urban growth of Navi Mumbai and upcoming water and sewage requirements, the Corporation claims that these regions ought not to be labeled as 'open.' The Municipal Corporation has recognized a requirement for 650.90 hectares of open space, whereas the existing availability is at 393.38 hectares, reflecting a deficit of 257.52 hectares. Although suggesting an extra 216.31 hectares, there is still a shortfall of 41.21 hectares. The Corporation's concerns in the development plan emphasize CIDCO's possible plans to sell these essential parcels.

The Municipal Corporation has voiced their reservation about the feasibility of building parks on wetlands and mangrove forests. Few days ago,  the Maharashtra State Environment Department sought detailed reports from CIDCO and the Thane district collector regarding alleged attempts to bury Lotus Lake, a verified three-hectare wetland in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, a RTI filed by activist BN Kumar, revealed.The Centre’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) asked the State to act on the issue after NatConnect’s director B N Kumar raised the matter via the Prime Minister’s Public Grievance (PMOPG) portal on June 11.In a response posted on the portal, Pankaj Verma, Scientist-F in MOEFCC’s Wetland Division, confirmed the complaint was "Taken up." Verma also emailed State Environment Director Abhay Madhukar Pimparkar to initiate necessary action.Following the Centre’s intervention, the State Environment Department issued letters on June 13 to CIDCO and the district collector seeking status reports, as revealed by information received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.Lotus Lake is among the 564 wetlands documented by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) under the state’s mandate in preparation for long-awaited official wetland notifications.Despite these orders, CIDCO reportedly awarded a contract to TIPL, a private firm owned by an influential politician, to dispose of construction debris from the Navi Mumbai International Airport project into the wetland, sparking fresh concerns from environmentalists.