TOI: HC okays devpt projects on mangrove land: July 29, 2008 | Mangroves:News Articles

HC okays devpt projects on mangrove land

Mumbai: A number of infrastructure projects in Navi Mumbai, which are located on or near mangrove plots, can finally take off. The high court on Monday approved an agreement between Cidco and the Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG), allowing the planning body to approach the authorities for sanction.

Among the projects that have got clearance are Central Railway’s 22-km line between Nerul and Uran, bridges along the Palm Beach Road extension in Ghansoli, holding ponds, road projects and water supply/sewerage systems.

Another high-profile proposal to get the go-ahead is the golf course at Karave spread over 47 hectares of mangrove land. The agreement specifies that the land will be maintained as protected forests.

“Our intention is to save mangroves without stopping any of the major infrastructure projects the city needs,’’ said Debi Goenka of BEAG.

“Under the agreement, sufficient safeguards have been taken to ensure that the mangroves are protected with some minor tweaking of the projects,’’ said Goenka, adding, “projects for the benefit of the public should continue without or with least disturbance to the environment.’’ The safeguards include constructing additional culverts wherever necessary in the embankment “to ensure free flow of tidal water and facilitate (the) natural growth of mangroves’’.

The agreement has given the green signal to projects falling in these categories: infrastructure—which do not involve the cutting of mangroves but fall within 50 m of the mangrove plots; projects that involve no cutting of mangroves and are being used for activities permitted in CRZ I areas, stormwater drain systems and major infrastructure projects that may involve the cutting of mangroves.

Cidco will have to approach the ministry of environment and forests and the Coastal Zone Management Authority for the necessary permission.

BEAG has refused to endorse the development of land falling within the 50-m buffer zone around mangrove plots or those that include the cutting of mangroves. The latter includes the destruction of mangroves to build a sports complex at Ghansoli.

Regarding the Nerul-Uran railway line, the application filed by CR counsel Suresh Kumar had contended that rail projects did not need permission from the forest ministry.

The state has declared around 5,157 hectares of mangrove land on the coastline as protected forests. Of the remaining 550 hectares, Cidco had sought exemption for 260 heactares, which it said had been earmarked for infrastructure/development projects.

Various departments and civic bodies staked claim to another 290 hectares. These include porjects pertaining to JNPT (14.35-km, four-lane highway), MSRDC (Sewri-Nava Sheva trans-harbour sea link and water transport projects), ONGC (pipeline from Uran to Jawahar Deep), Maharashtra Maritime Board (jetties at Gorai and Marve) and MMRDA (BKC).

The BMC is in talks with BEAG for a Cidco-type agreement to ensure that crucial projects such as sewerage treatment plants (at Millat Nagar, Khar Danda and Mahul Creek), garbage disposal projects and stormwater drain systems can be executed.

In October 2005, following a PIL filed by BEAG, the high court had banned construction and garbage dumping activities on mangrove land.

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