HC: MMRDA can cut 357 mangroves for Metro stn at Sewri, Bhakti Park

MUMBAI:THE Bombay high court on Wednesday allowed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to cut 357 mangroves for construction of Metro piers at Sewri and Bhakti Park station for Metro line-4, that connects Wadala in eastern suburbs to Kasarwadavli on Ghodbunder road in Thane.

The bench of justice SJ Kathawalla and justice Riyaz Chagla allowed MMRDA to cut 357 mangroves primarily after noting that Metro line-4 is a project of “immense public importance for the public transport.”

The bench also took into consideration that all requisite permissions for the Metro line are already granted by various statutory authorities.

The relief, however, is not unconditional. The bench has directed MMRDA to comply with the conditions imposed by authorities while granting permissions. Those include compensatory fire station over a hectare of degraded mangroves forest at Gorai where the authority will have to plant 4,444 mangroves saplings, bear the cost of the nursery, cost of raising and maintenance of the plantation for 10 years.

Bhakti Park station on Metro line-4, 48 piers on the alignment covering about 1,200 square meters pass through CRZ-2 and mangroves forests. Besides, MMRDA will also require to construct a temporary approach road for carrying out the construction work. It was required to move HC given earlier court directives prohibiting development work in mangroves forests and a 50-meter buffer zone around mangroves unless HC finds that the work is of considerable public importance.

Apart from connecting Wadala and Ghodbunder road in Thane, Metro line-4 will also provide inter-connectivity with existing Eastern Express Highway, Central Railway stations, Monorail, Metro line-2b (connecting DN Nagar in Andheri with Mandale), Metro line-5 (Thane-bhiwandi-kalyan), Metro line-6 (Swami Samarth Nagar-jvlr-seepz-kanjurmargVikhroli, and Metro line-8 (Wadala-general Post Office).