Mumbai to Monitor Mangrove Belts with CCTV Network

A comprehensive CCTV surveillance network will soon be installed to monitor mangrove belts in the Mumbai region. The Maharashtra forest department floated a tender for this Rs 120-crore project, featuring 669 cameras over 195 sensitive zones in various cities. The initiative aims to protect the environment from illegal activities.

A comprehensive CCTV surveillance network aimed at closely monitoring mangrove belts in the Mumbai region will soon be installed, according to Maharashtra forest department officials.

The forest department on Wednesday announced a tender for the Rs 120-crore project and issued a Request for Proposal. The ambitious plan includes 669 cameras and a centralized monitoring system, covering 195 sensitive mangrove areas in Mumbai, Thane, Bhiwandi, Navi Mumbai, Panvel, and Uran.

S V Rama Rao, head of the forest department's Mangrove Cell, said the high-priority project aims to reassure the public that environmental protection measures are being enforced. B N Kumar, director of the NGO NatConnect Foundation, which advocated for CCTV surveillance, expressed satisfaction with the development, highlighting ongoing threats from land mafias and the construction industry.

(With inputs from agencies.)