HC allows BMC to fell 1,237 mangroves for Versova-Madh Island bridge

The Bombay High Court has allowed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to fell 1,237 mangroves for the proposed bridge over Malad Creek connecting Versova and Madh Island.

The proposed bridge will be two kilometres long, four lanes wide and cable-stayed. The court noted that it is expected to reduce the road distance between Versova and Madh Island by more than 20 km and cut travel time from over an hour to 8-10 minutes.

The court said the project was “necessary and expedient for public good and in public interest”.

The BMC had approached the court because of a September 2018 order restricting non-forest activities in mangrove forests and within a 50-metre buffer zone.

According to the civic body, the revised alignment affects around 2.5 hectares of mangrove forest. About 0.5 hectares would be lost permanently, while around two hectares would be restored after construction.

The BMC has also deposited Rs 1.42 crore with the Maharashtra forest department’s mangroves cell for compensatory afforestation involving 39,000 mangroves across nine hectares.

The revised alignment was prepared after the BMC sought to ensure that movement of local fishermen’s boats was not obstructed by the bridge.

The BMC told the court that the bridge would be aligned with a 27.45-metre-wide development plan road and the Mumbai Coastal Road.

The civic body said the bridge and the development plan road would help divert traffic from SV Road and Link Road.

The bridge remains a proposed connectivity project, with the latest court order clearing the specific environmental and forest-related obstacle concerning mangrove felling and diversion.