Now Reading: BMC gets final nod to divert 103.65 hectares for coastal road
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BMC gets final nod to divert 103.65 hectares for coastal road
The BMC has received Stage II clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to divert 103.6554 hectares of mangrove forest for Mumbai’s Versova to Bhayandar link road, the Free…
The Story in Brief
The BMC has received Stage II clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to divert 103.6554 hectares of mangrove forest for Mumbai’s Versova to Bhayandar link road, the Free Press Journal reports. Construction and mangrove removal can now proceed, with completion targeted for December 2028.
The BMC said compensatory planting of 1.37 lakh mangroves would cover 255 hectares. Planting has begun on 31 hectares in Bhayandar, while work on 244 hectares in Palghar is due to start soon. Activists and residents allege mangroves were cut beyond peripheral areas before final approval. Vanashakti director Stalin D accused authorities of violating earlier conditions and court orders. A Malad resident warned that losing green cover could increase flooding risk.
The Indian Opinion
The easy claim that final clearance makes every earlier action lawful is not supported by the competing accounts. Nor does an activist warning that Malad will drown by 2030 establish a forecast. The real test is transparent mapping of the 103.6554 hectares, an audit of work done under the earlier permission, and proof that compensatory planting is completed across the promised sites. Will those records be made public before more mangroves are removed?
Source: freepressjournal.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
