Dombivli - Kalyan getting far connected soon

Development of Dombivli -  Kalyan Muncipal corporation 

Dombivli - the queen of suburbs of Mumbai

The Authority is implementing the Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP) in the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Lakhs of people travel to Mumbai from its Metropolitan Region and to make available similar infrastructure facilities for them the Authority thought it necessary to extend the Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP) to the Metropolitan Region and reduce traffic congestion.

The availability of infrastructure facilities will help prosper industries and create newer opportunities in the Metropolitan Region so as to reduce the additional pressure on the infrastructure in the city of Mumbai. The Authority in its meeting held on 24th December, 2007 sanctioned road development and flyover at a cost of Rs.1,493.26 crores in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivali, Mira-Bhayendar, Panvel, Vasai and Virar. This will connect Dombivli to NH4 and NH# and NH8 so that Dombivli - Kalyan will get connected to all over to South India and North India directly. 

The Extended Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project includes:

• Construction of 3 creek bridges
• 2 rail over bridge
• 9 flyovers
• Widening and development of 131.50 km long roads

Metro connection - free way between Dombivli - Mumbai - Mira Bhayander

Beautification Possible along Ulhas River - the mangroves

Dombivili - Kalyan is blessed with the mangrove forest and if tendered properly it can become the source of oxygen for the congested City. It is very important that these Mangroves has to be tendered properly. Otherwise it will make the polluted Ulhas creek a dangerous gutter. 

  The International Union for Conservation of Nature says mangrove forests, along with other coastal wetlands like tidal marshes and seagrass meadows, are long-term carbon sinks, storing carbon in the plants themselves but more importantly in the soils below for thousands of years. This process is called carbon sequestration and it can help control global warming by reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere, according to scientists.These ecosystems also are important in coastal protection, habitat, food security, biodiversity and tourism. The world is losing coastal wetlands on a large scale.

Studies have shown that the city is losing its mangrove forests. A study by Godrej & Boyce estimated that private mangrove forests in their industrial estate in Vikhroli absorbed 50,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. It found that mangroves and the soil they are rooted in have absorbed thousands of tonnes of CO2 from Mumbai’s air, effectively cleaning the air of emissions released by vehicles, industries and unsafe burning of wastes. The study showed that mangrove cover in this area has increased, leading to an increase in biodiversity.

An earlier study by the Thane-based BN Bandodkar College of Science found that mangroves along the Thane creek store 2,38,417 tonnes of carbon. To study the carbon content, researchers collected fresh and fallen mangrove leaves from creek sides in Bhandup and Airoli. A study called ‘Carbon footprints of 13,000 cities’ in 2017 estimated that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, which has a population of over 20 million, released 32 million tons of CO2 annually, with a per capita emission of 1.5 tonnes. Mumbai’s per capita CO2 emissions are low compared to New York’s 17.1 tonnes and London’ 10.4 tonnes, but as vehicle ownership increases and electricity consumption rises, the city’s greenhouse gas emissions will go up.

Mumbai has overlooked and abused its mangrove forests and before environmental laws became more stringent, destroyed large tracts for land reclamation projects, slums and dumping sites. Landsat images from 1988 and 2017 show the destruction of mangroves along Thane creek, with the expansion of the Deonar garbage dump and new construction. The Forest Survey of India estimates that Thane creek still has more than 59 sq km of mangroves.

The real estate business if goes unchecked can do the biggest menace. The area is under great threat because of the soil being collected from the creek. There is the mafias in operation and it is time check these mafias. It is in operation in chawls construction or soil collection. Another biggest threat is the pollution by garbage and sewage. All these needs urgent attention from the authorities.

There is a debate about the health of city's mangrove forests. Some environmental groups have said that about 70% of  mangroves have been destroyed due to various development activities, but satellite imagery, which has recorded decline in mangrove forests in many areas, have also reported another development. Sedimentation is narrowing Mumbai’s waterways, including the Thane creek. The new mudflats created by the sediments are being colonised by mangroves, thus expanding the green cover in certain areas.