NANDAKUMAR PAWAR: And that was truly eye-opening incident for me and my community. SEEMA ADGAONKAR: Yeah. Besides Navi Mumbai, the main mangrove-regions of Mumbai are: Vasai Creek, Thane Creek, Manori and Malad, Mahim, Bandra, Versova, Sweree and Mumbra-Diva. PATHAK: A little further down the coast from the nursery, the scene is more typical of Mumbai's mangroves nowadays - dry, leafless branches along the highway. Some estimates say 70% of the city's mangroves have been lost to development. Hidden away in the bosom of the mangrove patch between Bandra and the Maharashtra Nature Park is a system of fishing pools built by the Kolis two decades ago. They act as … Mumbai mangroves can provide a large base for research opportunities for researchers in Botany, Flora and Fauna of Mumbai coastline studies. They are specially adapted to withstand salinity, wave action, and can grow in poor soils. The Cell is headquartered in Mumbai and headed by a Chief Conservator of Forests. Not many people know about them, and unfortunately, the fast-paced city life greatly inhibits any further interaction. Worldwide mangroves are fast depleting but because of the conservation order, Mumbai and its neighboring areas now boast of more than 5,800 hectares of mangrove land which is protected and will protect the city in future. They act as breeding grounds for fish. This is when he decided to start a campaign to make people aware about the importance of mangroves in protecting Mumbai from tidal waves and how they are a breeding ground for aquatic life. Today, many of these mangroves have disappeared and only a few remain. Mangroves protect shorelines from erosion. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: The dream of a developed India - India's first high-speed rail that will connect Mumbai to Ahmedabad... PATHAK: India's first bullet train is a source of national pride. Like many coastal cities around the world, India's financial capital Mumbai is being threatened by climate change. It was the British who, upon realizing the strategic and commercial importance of the islands of the Arabian Sea, ordered for the clearing of the mangroves that rimmed the once-separated islands to create a continuous land mass then known as Greater Bombay. B N KUMAR: Very sad to see these mangroves dying like this. These half-fish and half-tree beings also find a mention in the Puranas and Tamil mythology – it is believed that many of the accessories that adorned the God Shiva, including the serpents worn as jewelry and the tiger-skin shawl, were acquired in the mangrove (thillai) forests of Pichavaram in South India, a telling tale of how bountiful mangroves really are. It was the British who, upon realizing the strategic and commercial importance of the islands of the Arabian Sea, ordered for the clearing of the mangroves that rimmed the once-separated islands … Since the 1940s, the Godrej Foundation has also been managing and conserving some of the largest private mangrove forests in the world on Mumbai’s coastline. This is home to more than 16 mangrove species, 82 butterfly … PATHAK: It's a common story across Mumbai. ... As storms become more erratic and severe due to climate change, the importance of mangroves with their complex root system holding on to … Some are really tall - like, maybe 15 feet high. Related Program: Mangroves protect shorelines from damaging storm and hurricane winds, waves, and floods. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Mumbai has some 20 million residents. This flower has a very nice fragrance. By editor • Nov 24, 2019 . Kumar. Mangrove forests have historically been overlooked in Mumbai, the study said. As an island city dependent upon mangroves for its survival, Mumbai is the ideal location for such a nationally important project. Even though millions of Mumbaikars pass by mangroves daily, very little is known about the city’s few remaining mangroves. PATHAK: The city has been doing this for decades. PATHAK: Seema Adgaonkar gives me a tour of the different mangrove varieties that used to be found in the wild in Mumbai. PATHAK: These mangroves are dying, says environmentalist B.N. All rights reserved. Water. It may, therefore, not come as a surprise that Mumbai has a special mangrove cell, which works with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to make the residents more aware of the city’s mangroves. Kumar points to a new report by climate change researchers that predicts much of Mumbai will be underwater by 2050. The city is blessed with lush, green mangroves, trees that … They store four times as much carbon as other forests, which can mitigate the effects of climate change. Apart from playing a critical role in maintaining the city’s ecological balance by preventing soil erosion and reclaiming land from the sea, these hearty and mucky forests also help to generate income for the city’s traditional fishing community of the Kolis. Mumbai's mangroves — a defense against floods and climate change — are endangered by urbanization. Let’s remind ourselves of the importance of mangroves for the entire city – Mumbai metropolitan Region (MMR). It is the only state to have a dedicated cell for mangrove protection. Mangroves are flood buffers and they also help in stabilizing the climate by moderating temperature, humidity, wind and even waves. But urbanization is putting those trees in danger. These can be spotted along locations such as the Vasai creek, Thane creek, Manori, Malad, Mahim, Bandra, Versova, Sewri, Mumbra–Diva, Gorai and Ghodbunder. V. MANGROVE DESTRUCTION IN MUMBAI Rapid developments like housing, industrialization, pollution and increasing population of Mumbai has resulted into degradation of mangroves. Back at the mangrove nursery, Seema Adgaonkar, the former forest ranger, says Mumbai needs many, many more people like Pawar if its mangroves are to survive. Restoration of Degraded Wetlands. Among all of these Mangroves is one of the least noticed yet most important ecosystems. Earlier, major Industrial wastes used to be dumped into the Sea. Vanashakti collected 300 kg of garbage from 200 acres of mangrove forests in Bhandup. We have partnered with the Mangrove Cell of the State Forest Department and the Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation to … Mumbai’s mangroves boast a history older than the city itself. Nandakumar Pawar is from a fishing village in northeastern Mumbai nestled in 2,000 acres of mangroves. The cell has deemed the Thane creek as a flamingo sanctuary, with a view to promote eco-tourism and create awareness. (PTI/File Photo) Environmentalists have reiterated the importance of mangroves in preventing flooding, a day after rain lashed the city. By editor • Nov 24, 2019 . The … Why Mumbai Needs More Mangroves . July 26 also marks the UNSECO-driven International Mangroves Protection and Conservation Day. Yet, the few mangroves that still exist provide the city dweller with a rare opportunity to witness the quiet and stillness, a state not typically associated with Mumbai. They want more highways and better infrastructure. As the key role that mangroves play in flood control, water quality, and wildlife habitat has become more widely appreciated, Mumbai has been the focus of new efforts to clean up mangrove areas, fence them off, and more aggressively monitor and protect them. For example, the villages of Pichavaram and Muthupet in the southern state of Tamil Nadu were protected by mangroves and … Mumbai’s mangroves boast a history older than the city itself. According to NatConnect Foundation, it has received a positive response from the Mangrove Foundation and its executive director Virendra … There are two important creeks, Vasai Creek towards … Like many coastal cities around the world, India's financial capital Mumbai is being threatened by climate change. The cell also wishes to build a recreational space around the mangroves that would attract more visitors. This is not the first time that the authorities in Mumbai have taken a step that is indifferent towards the environment and the residents. In Mumbai, mangroves are found in many creeks in Konkan region such as Jaitapur, Malvan etc. They alert Pawar if they spot anyone dumping garbage or encroaching on mangrove areas, and he calls the authorities. Knowledge about the benefits of mangroves increased significantly in Mumbai (as well as the rest of India) after the tsunami of 2004. A lot of them are getting wealthier. Roots of the Water World Mangrove forests have a unique character of floating foliage and roots. The clearing of mangroves in many areas of the city, particularly along the 18-km-long Mithi river, was cited as one of the main reasons for the unprecedented flooding in 2005. Without its mangroves, coastal Mumbai vulnerable to flooding. As UNESCO points out mangroves are “rare, spectacular and prolific ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea. Mangroves also help prevent erosion by stabilizing sediments with their tangled root systems. But a forest ranger is educating citizens on the value of the trees, hoping to save them. But a forest ranger is educating citizens … Back at the mangrove nursery, Seema Adgaonkar, the former forest ranger, says Mumbai needs many, many more people like Pawar if its mangroves are to … The bullet train is expected to destroy at least 30,000 mangroves. The Mangrove Wetland Centre project is the product of years of research on the mangroves in Mumbai and once completed it will be an example to emulate along the coasts of India. The ecological values of mangroves in most tropical countries have been qualitatively well documented and recognised. Mumbai has set aside 224 hectares (ha) of mangroves as reserve forests. Somehow with imposed laws and vigilant citizens, sea cleaning became the priority and many NGOs tirelessly worked towards the same. He points to their water source, a small channel blocked with construction debris from a highway that's being built. However, there is little quantitative scientific data to back this up. You may even be lucky enough to spot rare migratory birds too. But all of them have these very characteristic aerial roots. Since its establishment, the Mangrove Cell has made concerted efforts for better understanding of the mangrove diversity of the State, to create awareness about the importance of mangroves and to train staff for effective conservation of mangrove areas. The Government of Maharashtra constituted the “Mangrove Cell” in 2012 and the “Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit” in 2013 to protect mangroves in and near Mumbai and changed the status of mangrove forests on government land from “protected forests” to “reserved forests”. One network is that of the mangrove forests. Covering an area of 2,000 hectares, Vikhroli’s mangroves form one of the largest private mangrove forests in Maharashtra (managed by the Godrej Foundation since the 1940s). His village survived those deadly 2005 floods with remarkably little damage. Mumbai’s mangroves. About 40 ha of these newly-protected areas are along the Mithi river, which is choked by illegal construction. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. According to the Mangrove Society of India (MSI), the mangroves in Airoli and Vikhroli are counted among the 12 unique mangrove forests in the country. Until such plans see the light of day, it is always possible to stop by these shrubby jungles next time you happen to pass them. KUMAR: At a time when you require more and more mangroves, we are destroying, unfortunately, more and more mangroves. Now you can only see them in nurseries. Then in 2005, that area was ravaged by deadly floods. Related Program: But activist Kumar questions whether development has to come at the cost of the environment. They actually protect the land from the impact of the sea. Mangroves act as natural buffers against flood surges by absorbing impact and breaking the flow of water. In 2015, United Way Mumbai (UWM) launched the Mission Mangroves campaign, with the aim to restore Mumbai's depleted mangrove cover, which serves as a protective shield from natural disasters like floods, cyclones, tsunamis, etc. Vanashakti was a part of a restoration programme launched by state of Maharashtra which involved plantation of mangroves over 60 hectares across the city of Mumbai. Copyright © 2019 NPR. Being a fisherman, I know the importance and values of mangroves. Young people in Mumbai are taking action to protect the city's vanishing mangrove forests. PATHAK: "Mangroves are like soldiers, guarding the coast from rising seas," she says. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. He now runs an NGO which trains fishermen to be mangrove vigilantes. They maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping sediments originating from land. Mumbai's mangroves — a defense against floods and climate change — are endangered by urbanization. For NPR News, I'm Sushmita Parthak in Mumbai. The city is blessed with lush, green mangroves, trees that can act as a buffer against tides. Mission Mangroves. Proposals to build promenades and boardwalks are in the pipeline. Mumbai coastal area always had some of the other challenges. KUMAR: Free water flow from the channel there - they stopped it for expansion of the highway. PATHAK: "If mangroves are saved," she says, "Mumbai will be saved.". Important mangrove sites along India's coast are the Sundarbans in West Bengal, Bhitarkanika in Orissa, Chilka lake in Orissa, the deltas of Godavari and Krishna and Pulicat along the east coast, and Vembanad in Kerala, Kundapur in Karnataka, Honnavar in Karnataka, Malvan in … Others are smaller shrubs. Mangroves are important for aquatic life and home for many species of fish. Mangroves in and around Mumbai have undergone massive destruction. Mangroves in Puerto Rico Ecological values. PATHAK: He always knew mangroves were important fish breeding grounds. Mumbai: People make their way through a flooded street during heavy rains in Mumbai on Tuesday. Why Mumbai Needs More Mangroves . In Maharashtra, ongoing efforts to protect mangroves, both public and private, have been exemplary. Mangroves are essential to maintaining water quality. A few months earlier, protests were held in Mumbai to criticise the exploitation of wetlands and felling down of mangroves for ambitious construction schemes. Accuracy and availability may vary. With their dense network of roots and … SUSHMITA PATHAK, BYLINE: There's so many different types of mangroves here. NPR's Mumbai producer Sushmita Pathak brings us this report from a mangrove nursery. Thousands of acres of velvety green mangroves line the border between the Arabian sea and the city of Mumbai in western India. Conservative valuation and assumptions about cumulative, non‐quantified value emphasize the importance of mangroves to the built environment, people, and future security of Mumbai. An image of the vast stretch of mangroves at Charkop | © DLS/WikiCommons, By Patrice78500 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons, © 2013 The Mangrove Cell, Maharashtra Forest Department. In the 1980s, it cleared one of its largest mangrove forests to build a commercial hub. But in those floods, he realized how important they are for human survival. Adgaonkar is a former forest ranger with the state-funded mangrove conservation unit, or mangrove cell. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

importance of mangroves in mumbai

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