Activists hail verdict as BMC plans to move Supreme Court

Mumbai: Even as activists hailed the judgment quashing the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) permissions given for the Coastal Road project (CRP), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is nowplanning to move Supreme Court.

According to civic officials, projects like the Bandra-Worli Sea link, which are similar to the CRP, have helped alleviate the city’s traffic woes.

“The high court clarified that no further work can be carried out by the BMC on this coastal road project, while it quashed the CRZ permissions obtained by the civic body and stated that environment clearance (EC) is mandatory,” said Zoru Bathena, a Mumbai-based activist and one of the petitioners against the CRP.

However, the BMC maintained that it had focused on protecting marine biodiversity. The BMC was directed by the state mangroves cell to pay a sum of '254 crore  as part of corporate environmental responsibility. “We had already released '25 crore for the protection of coastal biodiversity. The CRP is needed in Mumbai to deal with ever-increasing traffic issues. We will plead with the apex court to look into the issue,” said a BMC official.

However, activists believe that the environmental damage caused by the project is irreparable. “Why harm marine biodiversity in the first place? Just because the BMC is paying money does not mean that it can go ahead destroying the coastal ecosystem,” said Mr Bathena.

“The court has upheld our contention that environmental and wildlife clearance was required and that the CRZ clearance was given without proper application of mind,” said another petitioner, Debi Goenka.

“Our fishing activities were almost reduced to half due to the sea link as its column came in the way of our fishing nets. We approached the court so that our livelihood was not further affected and we are happy with the ruling,” said Nitesh Patil, a fisherman.