'All Permissions In Place, Land Not A Wetland': CM Fadnavis On MNLU Goregaon Campus Amid Activist Objections

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday clarified that the land allotted for the proposed Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) campus at Pahadi, Goregaon, is not a wetland, asserting that all requisite permissions have been obtained from competent authorities.

Fadnavis was speaking at the Project Initiation Ceremony of the university’s permanent campus, where Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai was the chief guest.

MNLU Campus to Be Among India’s Most Advanced

“The Chief Justice asked me whether the plot was a wetland. I said that everything has been looked into. We have all the permissions from the competent authorities,” Fadnavis said. He added that although the project was delayed, it would be one of the best campuses in the country. “Technology is disruptive, and though MNLU got a little late, this will be the most advanced campus with all modern advantages. I am sure it will achieve international status,” he said.

The Chief Minister also spoke of Maharashtra’s plans to establish an ‘International Education City’ in Navi Mumbai, aligned with the National Education Policy. “Five international universities have already approached us and will set up campuses soon. For everything, you need a strong legal system now is the time to create the best human resources in the legal fraternity,” he added.

Maharashtra’s Educity, a 250-acre facility, is to come up near Navi Mumbai International Airport. It aims to provide world-class global education to Indian students in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

CJI Gavai Lauds State’s Support to Judiciary

Praising the Maharashtra government’s support to judicial infrastructure, CJI Gavai said, “It is for the executive to provide infrastructure to the judiciary, and the Maharashtra government has always supported us.” Referring to the delay in MNLU’s construction, he remarked, “As the saying goes, Der se aaye magar durust aaye.”

He noted that the state could have shifted the project to Thane or Navi Mumbai but instead chose to allot “a pristine 30-acre piece of land in Mumbai, where space is always a constraint.” Gavai said Maharashtra’s judicial infrastructure was “world-class” and comparable with international standards.

Activist Raises Objection Over Wetland Status

Earlier, environmental activist Zoru Bhathena has raised objections to the university coming up at Goregaon plot, claiming that the proposed site is a natural wetland listed in the National and State Wetland Atlas, where development is prohibited. In a letter dated October 27 to CJI Gavai, Bombay High Court Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor of MNLU, Bhathena urged withdrawal of the proposal.

Project Timeline and Background

MNLU Mumbai, established in 2014, currently operates from Powai. The Goregaon campus project, spread over 35 acres, officially began on November 5, 2025.