Bombay HC Allows NMMC To Build Service Road Parallel To Palm Beach Road; Says No Mangroves Will Be Cut

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has paved the way for the construction of a service road parallel to Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai by allowing the petition filed by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) on Thursday. The authorities assured the court that the road is not located in an eco-sensitive zone and that no mangroves would be cut in the process.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice MS Karnik, while permitting the construction of the road, observed: “The project is in larger public interest and, in light of the stand taken by the corporation that no mangrove trees will be cut, we are inclined to allow the present petition.”

The NMMC had proposed a service road stretching from TS Chanakya Signal to Plot 7, Sector 58, Nerul. The corporation approached the HC in 2022 for construction permission as it was allegedly very close to the mangroves. However, the proposal faced several objections from environmental activists, who believed that the project would disturb the mangrove ecosystem.

The corporation argued that the proposed project would neither result in the destruction of mangrove trees nor utilise any forest land. The petition was filed because the project site is located within 50 meters of the mangrove' buffer zone. Additionally, the Corporation claimed that the service road is a missing link connecting two existing service roads.

The Bombay Environment Action Group, however, contended that terrestrial trees would be cut for the project, which involves a service road, drain, and footpath. They also raised concerns regarding the interpretation of CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) rules and the permissible construction limits. The corporation maintained that the road falls within the buffer zone of the mangroves but does not harm the ecosystem.

The court referred to Adarsh Reddy, IFS, divisional authorised officer of the Mumbai Mangroves Conservation Unit, who stated that the proposed road does not fall within any notified reserved forest area or the Eco Sensitive Zone of the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary.