'Fishing is the only profession we know'

In the wake of MiD DAY's exclusive report on the systematic destruction of the Mulund wetlands, purportedly for the sake of development into an SEZ, strong, and contending reactions poured in from all quarters. Civic authorities had denied the allegations, claiming that the spot earmarked for development had no such vegetation. This has attracted outrage from the 500-strong population of Kopri village, some of whom spoke to MiD DAY. They unequivocally claimed that the destruction of the natural habitat, and denial of access to the sea, has resulted in large-scale loss of livelihood for them.


Outraged: The Kopri villagers state they have lost their livelihood to
the 'development'. Pic/Dhara Vora

What they say
Balkrishna Jagannath Patil:
"I have spent 75 years in Kopri Village and have been fishing in the Mulund creek for a majority of my life. Anybody who claims that there were no mangroves in this area is lying. I was dependent on the wetlands for my earnings. I used to fish for Kala Mas (Tilapia) in its waters. After being barred entry, I was compelled to work as a gardener to sustain myself. Nowadays, if I want to fish, I need to travel a stretch of over 2 km to reach the nearest wetland," he said.

Vasant Patil:
"We are the residents. Who knows better about the depleting forest cover than us? Do you think an official sitting in an air-conditioned room is a more reliable source of information? What compensations have we received in return for our livelihood?"

Sheila Patil:
"I have spent my entire life in this village, and am acquainted with its every nook and cranny. Thanks to this illegal work, I have to rely on my children for a living, although I'm fit for fishing. The entire socio-economic structure of the village is crumbling. Fishing is the only profession we know. Who will give us office jobs?"

Gobind Raghunath Patil:
"The entire region was marshland originally, fed by the creek."

The Other Side
MiD DAY's report attracted strong reactions from the members of the civic body, whose responses were shining examples of the phrase "passing the buck." Suburban Collector Nirmal Kumar Deshmukh, said, "We will talk to the forest ministry." Executive Engineer Ravindra Khadtale of Thane Municipal Commissioner (TMC) said, "Speak to the collector. The TMC has not heard anything about this." Additional Municipal Commissioner Mohan Adtani said, "The matter has to be directed to the state's forest ministry." BMC standing committee chairperson Rahul Shewale said, "I will ask the officials to look into it." Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar said, "I have informed the concerned department to obtain details."