Concerned over the decreasing mangrove cover in Mumbai, a parliamentary panel has urged the Environment Ministry to take all necessary steps to save and protect these areas from further encroachment.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology and Environment and Forest said that necessary measures should be taken to prevent garbage dumping in wetlands and mangroves.
"The committee feels that decreasing mangroves cover in Mumbai is a matter of concern and therefore recommends that the Environment ministry and the state government should take all necessary steps to save and protect mangroves areas from further encroachment," the committee chaired by former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar said.
It also said that all necessary development activities must be approved after keeping ecology in mind.
"All necessary development activities must be approved consistent with the view to prevent ecological imbalances. Steps should be taken by the concerned authorities to prevent garbage dumping with wetlands and mangroves, check illegal activities and dumping of spent oil in ocean," it said.
It also noted that noise pollution in the city is one of the factors "adversely" affecting the health of inhabitants and immediate steps are required to contain it.
The panel also recommended that scientific noise profiling of the city needs to be completed at the earliest and noise pollution should be checked along with enforcement of relevant laws.
"The committee finds that permissible limit for noise levels in the residential areas of Mumbai is at 120 decibel hardly leave any elbowroom when but the toleration level of human ears is 120 decibels. Considering the toleration level of human ears, the committee is of the view that permissible level of noise needs to be reduced," it said.
The committee also felt that there should be arrangement for collection of waste water. The panel also said that there was an urgent need to create an effective waste water management system and special arrangements should be made for water management in sewage treatment plants.
