TMC told to stop work on wetland

Mumbai: The pet project of Thane Municipal Corporation, which is the waterfront development, has faced a new hurdle after permission to construct on coastal regulation zone (CRZ) areas were denied. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has directed the civic body to stop construction work of the project, as it does not have adequate permissions.

The Asian Age had reported that the construction work is proposed within the high tide line of CRZ 1 areas, where the wetland will be filled up to 15 meters, to which environmentalists have raised concerns over the likelihood of flooding in the city areas. The project will also entail reclamation of wetland patches at three other spots at Thane city, including Kopri and Salket-Balkum.

According to the minutes of the meeting, the MCZMA directed the TMC to submit an undertaking that whether the development activities carried out is as per the CRZ recommendation earlier given by the statutory body. “We have asked the civic body to stop any further development activities undertaken without the CRZ approval. After the TMC submits it reports, further action will be taken,” said an official from the MCZMA.

“Unless the coastal maps for Thane districts are not approved by the Union environment ministry, the MCZMA cannot give permissions for the work,” said Rohit Joshi, Thane based activist.