BJP corporator of Malad in Bombay, Vinod Mishra, has said that mangroves on land owned by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) at Eksar village, Borivli, Bombay had been cut illegally for setting up studios. In a complaint to environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, Mishra said that massive debris had been dumped at Bhatti village to reclaim land in violation of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and Tree Protection Act, 1975. The corporator demanded an investigation into permission granted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s solid waste management department for dumping six lakh brass or 1.5 lakh truckloads worth of earth to reclaim the land.
Mishra demanded action against the MTDC as well as BMC officials for dereliction of duty and allowing wanton destruction of mangroves. Earlier, on 1st February, he raised the issue at the District Planning Committee meeting.