Bombay HC: Include expert before allowing to axe 53,000 mangroves

Mumbai: The Bombay high court Wednesday asked the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) to include a NGO and an environmental expert in the petition, which has been filed seeking permission to axe over 53,000 mangroves in Thane and Palghar for the bullet train.

The court said that it wanted to know the opinion of an environmental expert before deciding on the plea seeking chopping of the mangroves.

The NHSRCL had mov-ed the Bombay high cou-rt, seeking permission to cut mangroves spread ov-er an area of 13 hectares after the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Manag-ement Authority (MCZ-MA), in March this year, informed the court that it had given permission to raze over 53,000 mangroves for the bullet train. In April this year, the NHSRCL informed the court that it had received approval of the expert appraisal committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for removal of mangroves.

The NHSRCL had approached the HC after the MCZMA on December 22, 2018, turned down its plan of cutting the trees saying it required the high court’s permission.

While hearing the petition, a division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice N.M. Jamdar said that it needed to hear an environmental expert before taking any decision on the hacking of thousands of mangroves spread over 13 hectares’ area in the Thane, Navi Mumbai and Palghar districts.

“If permissions are granted like this for every public project, then what will be the impact on the environment!” said chief Justice Nandrajog.