The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has asked the CIDCO to ensure that the construction of Tirupati Venkateswara Swami Temple in Sector 12, Ulwe, is proposed in non-Coastal Regulation Zone (non-CRZ) area strictly as per approved CZMP under CRZ Notification, 2019.
In its meeting held recently, the MCZMA also asked the CIDCO to ensure that mangrove cutting is not allowed and the project planner obtains the mangrove cell NOC for the said activity within 50m mangroves buffer zone.
Debris need to be processed at designated site
While no construction is allowed in mangroves or its 50-metre buffer zone without the high court’s permission, the debris generated during the construction activity should not be dumped in CRZ area. Also, the debris need to be processed in a scientific manner at a designated site, the authority observed.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam has proposed to construct a Tirupati Venkateswara Swami Temple on a plot measuring 40,000 sq mtr in Ulwe's Sector 12. In its earlier meeting, the MCZMA had observed that the project planner needs to restrict the proposed construction in non-CRZ area as per approved CZMP, 2011. The members suggested that there shall not be any impact on CRZ area from the construction activities proposed in non-CRZ area.
MCZMA proposed construction in non-CRZ area
As per decision taken in that meeting, the MCZMA recommended the proposal for construction in the non-CRZ area to the concerned planning authority from the CRZ point of view subject to certain conditions.
Stating that there shall not be any impact on CRZ area, from any activities proposed to be carried out in the non-CRZ area, MCZMA said that the local civic body needs to ensure that all other required permission from different statutory authorities are obtained before commencing construction.
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'Unfortunate that MCZMA not considered key aspects'
“It is unfortunate that the MCZMA has not considered the key aspects such as the original status of the area five years ago and the flood hazard line that cuts into the temple plot,” said B N Kumar, Director of NatConnect Foundation.
“Going by the CZMP as approved by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), a blue line denoting the hazard line runs through the plot,” Kumar pointed out.
Stating that the plot is cut from the 19 Ha MTHL casting yard that was built on 16 hectares of mangroves, Kumar said the rest of the area used to be intertidal wetlands and mudflats. The entire casting yard was under CRZ1 till the casting yard was built in 2018-19.
Kumar has already moved the western zonal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the allotment of the 40 acre (roughly 40,000 sq mtr) plot for the temple on an ecologically sensitive area. Kumar made it clear that he is not opposed to the temple project and plot for which can be given anywhere else, other than the biodiversity area.
On a complaint by NatConnect and fellow environment group Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has asked the environment and urban development departments to look into the issue.
