Budget’s ‘MISHTI’: Navi Mumbai green groups cautiously welcome Union government’s new-found love for mangroves, wetlands | Navi Mumbai News – Times of India

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NAVI MUMBAI: Green groups have cautiously welcomed the Union government’s new-found love for mangroves and wetlands in the Union Budget, but cautioned against environmental destruction under the guise of infrastructure development.

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Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed that the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitat and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) will be taken up for mangrove plantation wherever feasible.
“Mishti means sweet in Bengali, but the plan does not sound so sweet considering the ground reality that the government has failed to check mangrove destruction,” said NatConnect Foundation director BN Kumar.
The government companies such as JNPA, Cidco and even projects such as NMSEZ have been caught destroying mangroves and wetlands, green activists have said, and called upon the authorities to focus on conservation rather than making wishy-washy announcements.
“We already have schemes like blue-economy and mangrove-based economy,” NatConnect pointed out and called for enhancing funds for such plans and implementing them across the coasts.
Moreover, mangroves plantation is an eyewash and waste of money, asserted Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagarshakti.
“All that one has to do is to ensure uninterrupted inter-tidal water flow and mangroves flourish on their own, provided there is no human interference,” Pawar said and pointed out that the experience in Uran has clearly proved this.
Mangroves at Pagote and near Punjab Warehouse have come back alive with the restoration of tidal water flow, Pawar said and commented “that’s the beauty of nature.”
“Mishti sounds fine, but what about caring about existing mangroves,” asked Kharghar-based activist Jyoti Nadkarni.
Despite our repeated requests, the mangroves in the node are yet to be transferred to the forest department for conservation as per the Bombay high court order, she said and described the talk of mangrove plantation as ‘hogwash’.
Referring to the finance minister’s announcement of wetland protection and the rise in number of the Ramsar sites, Pawar said the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS) is in a bad shape due to the ever increasing pollution.
TCFS is among the latest Ramsar sites listed as part of the global initiative to protect wetlands.
Kumar pointed out that the TCFS Satellite Wetland Management plans to protect wetlands at Bhendkhal, Belpada, Panje, NRI Complex and TS Chanakya has run aground as all these flamingo destinations are facing extinction.
“What we need is visible action on ground and not mere sweet sounding acronyms,” Kumar added.

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