Protect Wetlands from Encroachment: A Call to Action
Key Highlights :
The issue of encroachments on wetlands is a serious one that needs to be addressed urgently. Wetlands are important for the health of a region, as they help to protect the mainland from floods, and also act as a dispersal area for birds. Charkop in Kandivli West is a prime example of a wetland that has been reduced from 4.5 acres to 1,000 sq ft due to encroachments. Recently, civic officials razed a few encroachments, but encroachers still fearlessly rule the roost. It is clear that the land mafia and senior government officials are in connivance with the encroachers, as garages, godowns, restaurants, eateries, tea and paan-bidi stalls have been set up in the area.
In 2021, activists associated with River March, an organisation that works towards rejuvenating the city’s rivers, wrote a letter to the chief minister and environment minister as well as local public representatives requesting them to give the lake legal protection. It is important to understand why this has occurred in the first place and take action to prevent it from happening again. Allowing or turning a blind eye to one encroachment, means there is a rapid and uncontrollable multiplication. Many times, it is the powerful who are behind the encroachments. The very leaders or those who wield influence are responsible for this wanton destruction, or are in connivance with those who do so.
It is time for the government to take action and protect wetlands from encroachment. There should be strict laws in place to prevent illegal activities, and those found guilty should be punished. The government should also take steps to restore the wetlands to their original state, and ensure that no further encroachments take place. In addition, the public should be made aware of the importance of wetlands, and why it is important to protect them.
The protection and regeneration of wetlands is essential in the larger interest of the public, and in the light of the prevailing large scale environmental degradation and pollution. It is a call to action for all of us to come together and protect our wetlands from encroachment. If we do not act now, we will be in peril in the future.
