Bombay HC gives nod to relocation of mangroves for JNPT project

The JNPT had moved court in light of an earlier HC order. It had said that though no non-forest activity should take place in such areas, nothing prevented the authorities, private bodies and their contractors from approaching the competent authorities to seek permission for projects that were likely to affect mangroves.

Along the coast at Uran, reclamation activity has already begun and trucks full of earth are being dumped daily along the shore. In the first phase, JNPT will reclaim 200 hectares along the shore as well as 19.5 hectares covered by dense mangroves for rail and road.

During one of the hearings of JNPT’s request for the fourth container, the Bombay Environment Action Group had informed the court that re-transplantation of mangroves, as promised by JNPT, had been proposed in an area which was a not a coastal zone, but a forest area. However, the JNPT had maintained in its plea that it had never violated laws on environment protection in the area nor carried out any non-forest activities.

Ramdas Koli, a local fisherman, had earlier petitioned to the NGT, saying the rights of his community had been prejudiced. He had claimed over 80 per cent of the mangrove land in the area had fallen prey to continuous reclamation. His intervention application, filed through advocate Meenaz Kakalia and argued by senior counsel Mihir Desai, was rejected by the court Friday.

The court observed that the order of NGT, which had refused to grant any relief to JNPT in March 24, was pending in the Supreme Court. The NGT application had said, “The construction of the fourth berth involves destruction of large tracts of mangroves which also happen to be the breeding and spawning ground of fishes. The construction of the container berth apart from reclamation of land involves deepening and widening of the channel of the creek and thus obstructing the inter-tidal sea exchange.”

aamir.khan@expressindia.com