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Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been...

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been reduced to an annual ritual of tree-planting drives and clicking selfies for social media, though 90 pc of the saplings don’t survive even a day. “Only the government knows where those trees really are,” said Raj sternly. He recalled a "Blueprint of Maharashtra’s Development" he had proposed in 2015, in which he advocated how development without environmental sensitivity is hollow. Justifying, he said that the consequences are visible where roads, bridges and infrastructure projects are hailed as achievements, but even a short spell of rainfall can paralyze entire cities. Referring to recent reports on farmers returning from the fields after 10 am due to the scorching heat, Raj said that the worsening climate crisis has become an everyday reality. Citing official statistics, Raj claimed that extreme heat has caused productivity losses of nearly USD 159 billion and slashing of 160 billion work-hours annually in recent years. He mentioned the World Bank estimates that India’s GDP could plummet by 2.5-4.5 pc while 57 pc of the country’s districts sheltering 76 pc of the population stare at serious climate-related crises. Taking a swipe, he said while the governments boast about growth figures and economical rankings, they are silent on the staggering costs of environmental destruction. He questioned the development model “whether flooded cities, washed-away crops and unbearable summers” genuinely indicate progress. Claiming that Maharashtra was increasingly becoming unliveable for upto 8 months in a year, he said excessive monsoon rains disrupt rural life and urban floods cripple cities, while extreme heat make normal life a torture in summers in both urban-rural areas. Targeting the Centre, Raj alleged that nearly 173,984 hectares of forest lands were diverted in the past 11 years for mining and infrastructure projects to benefit the PM’s single favourite Adani Group. He said that these lands amount to 1,730 sqkm, or equivalent to the area of 16 Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) that is spread over barely 104 sqkm. Dissolve state wildlife board: Aaditya Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray has accused the Maharashtra government for issuing a permit to carry out mining activity in the sensitive tiger corridor between the Tadoba-Andhari and Indravati sanctuaries housing the big striped cats. In a strongly-worded letter to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Member-Secretary Sanjay Kumar, Thackeray sought his immediate personal intervention, sacking the Maharashtra State Board for Wild-Life (SBWL), revoking the permit, and probe against the Chief Wildlife Warden & Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) M. Srinivasa Reddy for the alleged lacunae. Aditya’s two-pager says the permit has been granted for “scientific exploration and excavation/systematic recovery of low-grade iron ore in existing mines in villages Hedri, Bande, Parsalgondi and Round Parsalgondi, in the Etapalli taluka of Gadchiroli district”. Last January, Aditya – MLA from Worli – had first raised the issue saying that the proposed mine would create only 120 jobs, including 32 permanent, and the estimated output is pegged at 1.1 million tons in a year. Referring to two letters of Reddy – on April 28 and May 21 – the SS (UBT) leader claimed that in communications to the state government, the PCCF had changed his stance on the issue. Aditya said that in the first letter, Reddy had effectively opposed the government plans for mining activity but in the second letter, he took a somersault, ostensibly due to government pressures or some commercial interests, “the U-turn is disgraceful and detrimental to India’s national interest” – and this abrupt shift in stance must be investigated thoroughly. In view of the contrary stance of the PCCF Reddy, entrusted with protecting the wildlife but failing to defend the NTCA and NBWL, point to serious malfunctioning of the SBWL, and hence it must be dissolved, besides reviewing all its decisions in the past three years, particularly those pertaining to hazardous activities in sensitive areas, demanded Aditya. 444 tigers roam in 11,000 sq.km As per the Status of Tiger Report (2002), and the Maharashtra Economic Survey 2025-2026, the state boasts of 444 tigers prowling in the wild along with other menacing creatures. The state’s total protected wildlife network of 88 Notified Areas of National Parks, Sanctuaries, and Conservation Reserves - including 6 dedicated to the striped big cats – is spread over 11,092 sq. kms as per current data.

HC panel flags construction waste, poor dust controls

AI generated image
AI generated image

Mumbai: In an important development, a two‑judge monitoring committee appointed by the Bombay High Court has flagged serious and persistent failures in Navi Mumbai’s air‑pollution control measures after an on‑site inspection on Monday, April 27. The panel, comprising Justice Anuja Prabhudesai and Justice Amjad Sayed, was constituted in February 2026 to supervise local authorities’ response to rising pollution levels after the court found prior efforts unsatisfactory.


As of Monday, Navi Mumbai’s city‑average Air Quality Index (AQI) was in the Moderate range, averaging around 88 AQI. The committee noted, however, that several localities routinely record worse readings such as Panvel registered approximately 110 AQI and Ghansoli about 104 AQI on recent monitoring -- levels that move parts of the city into the Poor or Unhealthy‑for‑Sensitive‑Groups categories. Early 2026 data continue to show repeated high‑pollution days in multiple pockets.


The panel highlighted that Navi Mumbai’s air quality has not improved over the past three years. A 2019–2023 analysis cited to the committee found the city among those with the largest increases in PM 2.5, reporting about a 46 per cent rise in fine particulate matter over that five‑year period. The committee warned that without urgent and coordinated action, the trend could persist or worsen.


Site Visit

During its inspection, which included JNPA Road and other stretches, the committee observed construction material and debris strewn along roadsides, uncovered piles of building material and uneven, unlevelled road surfaces contributing to dust generation. The judges recorded that mitigation measures were not being properly implemented, dust monitoring lacked adequate coverage and enforcement besides traffic management to reduce dust resuspension was deficient.


According to sources, the committee after a field visit, held a meeting at the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) with representatives from the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), NMMC and other agencies. The panel criticised the absence of a coordinated approach and noted that while NMMC operates a construction‑waste disposal facility, the integration of private municipal contractors and other municipal agencies such as Panvel Municipal Corporation into a unified disposal and enforcement framework was inadequate, undermining systematic waste handling.


Committee’s Directions

The monitoring judges directed the authorities to identify and segregate debris at inspected sites, ensure all construction material is covered and secured to prevent fugitive dust and implement immediate traffic management measures to curb dust re‑suspension and vehicle emissions. The committee called for the formation of a joint inter‑agency committee to coordinate enforcement, continuous dust monitoring (specifying locations, instruments and frequency) and a consolidated action plan with timelines and designated responsible officers. The court‑appointed panel warned that it will require regular progress reports and may impose further directions if responses are inadequate.


Health Risks

The committee and officials present attributed elevated particulate levels to a combination of industrial emissions, intense construction activity, uncontained debris and waste burning apart from and road dust stirred by vehicular movement. Given the documented 46 per cent increase in PM2.5 between 2019 and 2023 and recurring high‑pollution days into 2026, the judges emphasised the public‑health implications, particularly for children, the elderly and persons with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.


The court’s active supervisory role signals an expectation of verifiable, time‑bound action rather than piecemeal or cosmetic fixes. The joint committee and participating agencies have been asked to submit a consolidated, publicly reportable plan detailing dust‑suppression procedures, construction‑waste handling and disposal protocols, traffic‑management measures and implementation timelines. The High Court committee will monitor compliance and may require additional remedial measures if progress is insufficient.

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