India, Aug. 19 -- Encroachments, hutments and slum structures around a natural pond in Charkop, Kandivali West, will be removed within six weeks from October 1, the Mumbai Suburban District Collector's office has assured the Bombay High Court. The assurance came during a hearing on the BMC's plea to clear the encroachments and undertake conservation and beautification of the pond, which lies within the 50-metre buffer zone of mangroves.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad accepted the statement placed through an affidavit and directed the concerned authorities to plant mangrove saplings once the encroachments are entirely removed.

It noted that the encroachments "have eaten up the mangrove c...