Mumbai, March 18: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday will hear the petition filed by environment NGO Vanashakti against Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) commencement of cutting mangrove forests for the Versova-Bhayander Link Road (Coastal Road North) project, the petitioner and director of the NGO Stalin D said.
The BMC claims that it has started the surface-level mangrove cutting under the 'working permission' from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), and in coordination with the state forest department.
Extent of mangrove impact and compensation plan
A total of 45,675 mangroves spread across 103.65 hectares of land will be impacted for the project, of which around 9,000 mangroves will be permanently axed. The remaining 36,675 mangroves will be replanted in the shadow area after the project is completed.
The BMC has also submitted in the high court that it will plant three times the green cover impacted as compensatory plantations on the land identified in Chandrapur and Dahanu. However, questions are raised on the survival rate.
NGO alleges violation of legal provisions
Stalin D said, "The commencement of cutting of mangrove forests for the Versova-Bhayander Coastal Road Project is in contravention to Section 2 of the Van Suraksha evam Samwardhan Adhiniyam, 1980 and the order of the Bombay High Court dated 12.12.2025 in Writ Petition No 3790 of 2025. I have approached the apex court and the case will be heard by the bench of Chief Justice of India."
The respondents in the case are BMC, Union of India, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, State of Maharashtra, Additional Chief Conservator of Forest (Mangrove Cell) and Bombay Environmental Action Group.
Questions raised over compliance and reports
"The BMC is misguiding the Bombay High Court. In December 2025, while granting permission to cut 45,000 mangroves for the project, the court had asked the BMC to submit an action report of their 1,37,764 compensatory mangroves' sapling plantation. However, it has yet not submitted that report while claiming that the court verbally told it to submit in January 2027. The civic body is not submitting the report because the survival rate is very poor, against its claim of 90%," Stalin added.
Reminder notice issued to halt cutting
NGO Vanashakti on March 11 has also sent a reminder notice to the BMC and the state forest department asking them to stop the cutting of mangroves for the Coastal Road North project unless final (Stage II) clearance is obtained.
The first notice was served on February 3, and is still awaiting a response. It alleged that mangrove destruction is being allowed to proceed without Stage II forest clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
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BMC defends action, awaits clearance
The BMC officials claim that the Stage II forest clearance is expected in a month, and there are no violations in cutting of the surface-level mangroves, which has started at at least two locations. Officials added that the legal department is looking into responding to the notice by Vanashakti.
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