The already-shrinking mangrove pockets in Mumbai and Thane may lose green pockets as big as 8 Oval Maidans to make way for giant transmission towers to meet the city’s growing appetite for electricity.

The project entails denotification of 71 hectares of mangroves to instal 47 transmission towers over 14.5 kilometres. While the lines will pass through the Thane creek flamingo sanctuary, authorities said they have charted the alignment keeping in mind protected patches of forest, flamingo roosting and feeding sites and accessibility.