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Bombay High Court Allows Felling Of Over 20,000 Mangrove Trees For Bullet Train Project, Imposes Conditions

Sharmeen Hakim & Amisha Shrivastava

9 Dec 2022 11:32 AM IST

    • Bombay High Court Allows Felling Of Over 20,000 Mangrove Trees For Bullet Train Project, Imposes Conditions

    The Bombay High Court on Friday allowed a plea to fell over 20, 000 mangrove trees in Mumbai, Palghar and Thane to pave the way for bullet train project from Mumbai - Ahmedabad.A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Abhay Ahuja allowed the project to be completed owing its "public importance", subject to seven conditions. A copy of detailed order is awaited.The petition...

    The Bombay High Court on Friday allowed a plea to fell over 20, 000 mangrove trees in Mumbai, Palghar and Thane to pave the way for bullet train project from Mumbai - Ahmedabad.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Abhay Ahuja allowed the project to be completed owing its "public importance", subject to seven conditions. A copy of detailed order is awaited.

    The petition was filed by the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) in 2020 that has undertaken the project. An intervention was filed by NGO Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) against the felling of trees. The court had reserved its order in the plea on December 1, 2020.
    Earlier, the bench had asked NHSRCL to reduce the number of mangroves required to be cut for the project.
    Advocates Pralhad Paranjape and Manish Kelkar, for NHSRCL informed the court that they had reduced the number of mangroves to be felled from 53, 467 to 21, 997, and urged the court to grant their request.
    NHSRCL also undertook to plant five times the number of mangroves to be felled. The body further submitted that the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest had requested a shift in alignment to save the affected trees. And NHSRCL had accordingly complied.
    BEAG however contended that NHSRCL could not use explosives in the prohibited areas and no relaxation should be granted.

    Citation: 2022 LiveLaw (Bom) 486  

    Tags
    Bombay High CourtChief Justice Dipankar DattaJustice Abhay AhujaBullet Train ProjectFelling of Treesmangrove area
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