Mumbai: HC quashes CRZ clearance to Rs 14,000 cr coastal road project

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The Bombay High Court on Tuesday quashed the CRZ clearances granted to the Mumbai's civic body's Rs 14,000-crore coastal road project. The project proposed to connect Marine Drive area in south Mumbai to Borivli in north Mumbai.

A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice N M Jamdar rejected the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances while allowing a bunch of petitions filed by activists, residents, and fishermen from the city challenging the project.

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The bench said, "We are quashing the CRZ clearances granted to the project. We have held that the environment clearance is required for the project." The court's ruling means the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) cannot continue work on the project.

Environmentalist and people who have filed a PIL against the project has welcomed the High court order. Green activist Zoru Bhathena said, "The HC has quashed (cancelled) the CRZ permission and had held that an Environmental Clearance (EC) was mandatory.The HC has said that no further work can be done by BMC on this coastal road project. A big thanks to our wonderful legal team, who have gone above and beyond to fight this case. Mumbai is indebted to every one of the petitioners who stepped up to fight this matter. More power to them."

Environmentalist and one of the petitioners Debi Goenka said, "I am delighted. The High Court has upheld our contentions that an Environmental Clearance was required, that Wild Life Clearance was required, and that the CRZ clearance was granted without proper application of mind. A big thanks to our legal team - Janak Dwarkadas, Navroz Seervai, Rishika Harish, Pheroze Mehta, Ameet Hariani, Suchita Uppal, Rhishikesh Bidkar."

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from Ranjeet Jadhav, PTI

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