Madh versova bridge gets Forest clearance, HC remains
The bridge now requires approval from the Bombay High Court to divert 2.7515 hectares of mangrove forest. In exchange for the diversion of the 2.75-hectare mangrove forest, the BMC has identified three hectares of land for afforestation, where it will plant three trees for each one that is sacrificed to make way for the bridge. Once HR clears, all that remains is land acquisition. The permission from the high court is expected to take two to three months, after which the BMC hopes to begin work on the bridge on the ground by October.
The bridge will be cable-stayed to reduce the number of pillars required in the mangroves, and subsequently the environmental impact. It will also connect to the Versova interchange at the north end of the Coastal Road. It has been in the works since the 1967 Development Plan.
Earlier this week, the MP Piyush Goyal met with the state minister of forests, Ganesh Naik, and called attention to the bridge, prompting the government to request permission from the MoEFCC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
5 hours ago
- Scroll.in
Bangladesh to focus on saving five plant species from extinction
For the first time in its history, Bangladesh is attempting to protect five species from extinction by increasing their numbers and strengthening their population in the wild. The floral species are bulborox ( Bulbophyllum roxburghii ), the small-bulb orchid Bulbophyllum oblongum , dwarf date palm ( Phoenix acaulis ), chaulmoogra ( Hydnocarpus kurzii ) and bash pata ( Podocarpus neriifolius ). All of them are identified as critically endangered in the country's first-ever Plant Red List of Bangladesh published in November 2024. In the Red List, 1,000 species were assessed from five plant groups. Of these, 271 species were categorized as least concern, 256 species as data deficient, while 395 species were collectively termed threatened, including five critically endangered species, 128 endangered and 262 vulnerable. A total of 70 species were assessed as near threatened and seven species were assessed as regionally extinct. One species was found to be extinct in the wild. According to the Red List, bulborox and the small-bulb orchids currently exist in only a particular area of the Sundarbans, while the dwarf date palm is currently present in only the sal ( Shorea robusta ) forest in the northern district of Dinajpur. A minimal number of chaulmoogra trees are currently located in the forests of Bandarban, Rangamati, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts. Though the bash pata plant can currently be found in different locations of Cox's Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts, as well as in the National Botanical Garden, there are only 111 of them in the country. According to a note , the government is attempting to increase the number of both orchids using the tissue culture method and later plant those in suitable ecosystems, such as coastal areas and hill forests in Bangladesh. The dwarf date palm is a small plant that can easily be nurtured in a flowering tub. As the plant germinates from its seed, researchers are working on growing more seedlings to plant in the country's sal forests in multiple districts. The Red List states that the chaulmoogra tree has a limited capacity to grow from natural seeds. However, it can be cultivated using the tissue culture method. Efforts are underway to develop seedlings and plant them in their natural habitat. The bash pata plant never produces fruits; rather, the seed is open. The plant is used to manufacture pencils, and the seed production is very low. Therefore, the forest department is working on increasing its population through the tissue culture method. 'Our team is working to protect the species from extinction. Besides the conservation of the five critically endangered species, we are trying to collect two extinct plants – gola anjan [ Memecylon ovatum smith ] and fita champa [ Magnolia griffithii ] – from our neighboring countries as we share nearly similar ecosystems,' said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change . Regarding the importance of protecting biodiversity, a 2020 study says plants play a crucial role in maintaining the composition and quality of the atmosphere and soils in terrestrial ecosystems. They also provide support to other small organisms that are directly or indirectly linked to the food chain. Besides these, the production of medicines, building materials, biofuels, different types of chemicals and so on come from plants. The extinction of certain types of plants may break such a chain. The Bangladesh Forest Department has been collaborating with the Bangladesh National Herbarium , National Botanical Garden and IUCN Bangladesh on this work. 'For the orchids, using their bulbs to multiply them would be the easiest method; however, the tissue culture method is the best for this process even though it's time-consuming,' said Gazi Mosharof Hossain, an assessor of the Red List and a botany professor in Jahangirnagar University . Regarding the dwarf date palm, he told Mongabay , 'As the species grows from its seed, it could easily be multiplied.' 'As per our assessment, about 40% of the species are found as 'threatened in condition'. The current initiative of multiplying the species and increasing their numbers in nature will play a major role in conserving them,' said ABM Sarowar Alam, Red List project coordinator. According to government data , Bangladesh is home to 3,813 plant species. 'Out of those species, we have only assessed the status of 1,000 species, and if we can finish the rest of the species, we will be able to do the Red List indexing properly, which will help to protect all the species from risk of extinction,' Alam said. The country has already declared 56 protected areas , including national parks and sanctuaries, which are playing an important role in forest and wildlife conservation. The Red List also identified 17 invasive plant species that are harmful to the country's ecology. These species can out-compete native species, disrupt ecosystem processes and interrupt food webs. Of them, the significant ones are Assamgach ( Chromolaena odorata ), Assamlota ( Mikania scandens ), lajjabati ( Mimosa pudica ), sungrass – or chon – ( Imperata cylindrica ), kansh ( Saccharum spontaneum ), kachoripana ( Eichhornia crassipes ) and lantana – mogkanta – ( Lantana camara ). This article was first published on Mongabay .
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Madh versova bridge gets Forest clearance, HC remains
MUMBAI: In a step ahead for constructing a ₹2,395-crore bridge between the two coasts connected only by ferry and unavailable during the monsoon, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) gave its clearance for the Madh-Versova bridge late this week. The 2.06-km bridge will connect the Madh and Versova jetties, which would otherwise take a 90-minute detour drive. Madh versova bridge gets Forest clearance, HC remains The bridge now requires approval from the Bombay High Court to divert 2.7515 hectares of mangrove forest. In exchange for the diversion of the 2.75-hectare mangrove forest, the BMC has identified three hectares of land for afforestation, where it will plant three trees for each one that is sacrificed to make way for the bridge. Once HR clears, all that remains is land acquisition. The permission from the high court is expected to take two to three months, after which the BMC hopes to begin work on the bridge on the ground by October. The bridge will be cable-stayed to reduce the number of pillars required in the mangroves, and subsequently the environmental impact. It will also connect to the Versova interchange at the north end of the Coastal Road. It has been in the works since the 1967 Development Plan. Earlier this week, the MP Piyush Goyal met with the state minister of forests, Ganesh Naik, and called attention to the bridge, prompting the government to request permission from the MoEFCC.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Transport dept asks BMC to remove obstructions around BPIA flight path
1 2 Bhubaneswar: After authorities of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) sent consecutive letters flagging concerns about various obstructions along the approach path of flights and urged their removal, the transport department has taken the issue up with the civic body. "As per the requirement of the ministry of civil aviation, it is necessary to remove or trim trees, street lights, poles, and buildings on the approach path of runway 14 and 32 at BPIA for the safe operation of flights, as per height restrictions under the safeguarding of Airport Operations Rules, 2015," read the transport department's letter to the BMC commissioner on July 21. A copy of the letter was also marked to BPIA. The letter also mentioned a joint inspection conducted by BMC and others to identify obstructions and take steps to remove them. The letter mentioned the decision to reduce the height of a high-mast light as a result of the joint inspection. On July 7, BPIA wrote to the civic body flagging concerns about the high-mast light in Jagamara area. The airport authorities stated that no one from BMC obtained the no-objection certificate before installing the high-mast light. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Interested in Investing? Cyprus Offers Many Options Cyprus Invest | Search ads Undo The letter stated, "There are some street electric poles (used and unused) and a high-mast light along runway 14 (Baramunda side) that need to be shortened by at least 5 metres to clear the obstruction. " The light pole is 12m high, equivalent to a four-storey building. BPIA has requested a reduction in its height by 5m. After the Ahmedabad air crash, BPIA has been addressing the obstruction issue to ensure the safety of aircraft. BMC additional commissioner Suvendu Sahu said the area where the trees are located belongs to the general administration (GA) department. "We have fixed a meeting with GA officials to decide on the removal of obstructions. Regarding the street light, we will take it up with the electrical wing," said Sahu.
