mumbai

Updated: Aug 15, 2019 09:08 IST

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will start planting 1,000 mangroves at the mouth of Mithi river at Mahim Causeway on Friday. This is part of the civic body’s plan to build a joggers’ track and a walkway along the river.

Over the last one month, BMC cleared a total of 4,124 tonnes of waste and debris from the area for the project. On July 16, Hindustan Times reported the civic body’s plan to create the track, along with a viewing gallery overlooking the sea at one end.

On Wednesday, Sharad Ughade, assistant commissioner of H West ward (which covers this area), said, “We have received mangroves from the forest department and will start planting them in two days. We have already cleared out the garbage.” The mangroves will be planted across a two-acre stretch.

N Vasudevan, chief conservator of forest, said, “The mangroves will be planted in two stages. In the first phase, we will plant true mangroves near the creek water. On the landward side, we will plant mangrove associates.” Mangrove associates refer to saplings that are planted alongside mangroves to help them grow. They look exactly like mangroves, but can’t withstand salinity and grow on the landward side of a mangrove patch.

“We are going to plant three types of species. There is a denotified forest area near the mouth of the Mithi, where we will plant two species of true mangroves. Further away from the forest area, the soil is not fit for true mangroves. Here, we will plant the associates,” Vasudevan said.