‘Instead of a dam, increase city’s water supply through wastewater recycling’

The Maharashtra government has prioritised the Gargai dam project but wildlife conservationists warn it will be disastrous submerging over three lakh trees and causing irreversible ecological damageA recent meeting on the project saw Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approve the plan which aims to address Mumbairsquos growing water demand Attendees included Forest Minister Ganesh Naik Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest Department Milind Mhaiskar Environment Department Principal Secretary Vinita Singhal Mitra Foundation CEO Pravin Pardeshi Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Wildlife Srinivas RaoIn September 2024 midday reported that while the BMC pushed for the project due to water shortages the forest department insisted on a fresh survey of trees in Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary The previous survey in 2016 estimated that four lakh trees would be submerged However with changes in the BMCrsquos plan and potential shifts in tree numbers a new survey was deemed necessary before environmental clearanceWildlife conservationist Kedar Gore said ldquoThe proposed dam would submerge 637 hectares of highquality forest within Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Western Ghats The National Board for Wildlife is considering the project NBWL Case No FPMHWATER317032018 According to the earlier MCGM plan 400000 trees along with numerous plant species crucial to local ecosystems would be lostldquoAnother ridiculous claim made by the project proponent is that by creating this dam and submerging 637 ha forest area an island of 5338 ha will be created which will serve as a breeding area for birds Whoever has prepared such a preposterous justification has no idea of how natural ecosystems function Does a forest only consist of trees What about the shrubs herbs and grasses that constitute the fundamentals of any ecosystem These are invaluable natural assets and their importance is completely overlooked while planning this damrdquo Gore saidHe referenced a Supreme Court ruling that valued trees at R74500 per year of their age If each of the 400000 trees is at least 50 years old their total worth would be R1490 billion The Supreme Court recently ruled that largescale tree cutting is worse than killing humans fining a person R1 lakh for illegally cutting 454 trees in the Taj Trapezium Zone Given that it takes at least 100 years to regenerate such green coverInitially planned for completion by 2025 the project was halted due to concerns over the destruction of over four lakh trees under the Uddhav Thackerayled MVA government The earlier proposal covered 1100 hectares affecting another 700 hectares and requiring the relocation of 1000 families in Palghar The process of resettling affected persons is ongoing alongside environmental and forest clearancesThe proposed dam site is a critical wildlife corridor home to species like leopards jungle cats the worldrsquos smallest wild catmdashthe rustyspotted catmdashstriped hyenas and Indian porcupines Experts warn the dam would disrupt this corridor separating Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary from the northern Western GhatsExpert SpeakDebi Goenka an environmentalist said ldquoThis regionrsquos riverine ecosystem is unique and comparable to Melghat making conservation essential Instead of relying on a dam BMC could increase Mumbairsquos water supply by over 9 per cent through wastewater recycling as done in Singapore We must also recognise that forests attract rainfallmdashwithout them a failed monsoon could leave our dams dry BMC needs to limit new constructions based on Mumbairsquos carrying capacity instead of prioritising builder interests which will ultimately lead to the destruction of both our city and its natural habitatsrdquoStalin D from NGO Vanashakti said ldquoThis project clearly shows how little the government values forests and wildlife How many more forests must be sacrificed Have authorities even considered alternatives Maharashtrarsquos forests are turning into deserts for Mumbairsquos water needs The root cause of this destruction is an environmentally illiterate leadership Forests ensure a stable climate and water supplymdashdams do not At this rate we are rushing headlong into a climate crisisrdquo