Mumbai, May 5 -- Naigaon police registered two separate cases against 36 people for destroying mangroves through illegal landfilling on government and private plots in Naigaon East. According to the police, illegal construction activities, involving the reclamation of mangrove lands, have allegedly taken place in the Vasai-Virar region over the past few years. Two such instances recently came to light, prompting the authorities to take action. A 7.44-hectare mangrove was destroyed on land parcels bearing survey numbers 78, 79, 81, 116, and 117 in Juchandra village. This destruction also contaminated natural water sources of Bapane village residents. Based on a complaint filed by Arun Mutadak, the circle officer of Kaman, police registered a case against 19 people at the Naigaon police station for their involvement in illegal landfilling. Mutadak said that in the second incident, encroachment occurred on government land - survey number 125 - where mangrove trees were cut down and landfilling was done across 9.02 hectares. Consequently, the water sources in Juchandra village were contaminated. Police registered an FIR against 17 people in this case "These individuals had taken contracts from builders in Mumbai to dump the debris of dilapidated buildings in mangroves at Vasai so that the land mafia could encroach on the land," Mutadak said. "After receiving several complaints, we surveyed the area and initiated the registration of two FIRs under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to environmental destruction."...