NGO, Watchdog Foundation on Friday complained to the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Authority about destruction of mangroves as well as illegal construction of hutments at F Block Bandra Kurla Complex. It has also said that despite repeated complaints the authorities have failed to take action.
In a letter to the MCZA, Godfrey Pimenta of the NGO alleged that rampant encroachment of Mithi river area near the bridge over Mithi in F-block, BKC, has choked it, preventing smooth flow of water. “Dumping of untreated garbage and waste by the slum dwellers may have lead to growth of water hyacinth, an aquatic weed that uses up dissolved oxygen,” he said.
Mr. Pimenta explained that the settlements are illegal, and was a serious cause of concern because the people of these settlements have converted the river into a dumping ground. “This will have devastating impact once the monsoon sets in, as the river would not be able to channel the excess water,” Mr. Pimenta said.
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Besides Watch Dog Foundation, Nikhil Barccha, a resident of Juhu scheme, also filed a complaint on June 5 and 15 with the MCZA. “There is a bridge that connects The Asian Heart Institute and Bandra Government Colony where from the south of the bridge one can see earth being dumped. This has reduced the width of the river from 60 meters to 15 meters. There are slums too which have encroached upon the space of the river which falls within the region of CRZ,” Mr. Barccha said.