Mumbai News: The Bombay High Court on Friday granted relief to the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) for the under-construction Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project. Permission was granted to cut around 22,000 mangrove trees in the neighbouring districts of Mumbai, Palghar and Thane for the project.
A bench of High Court Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Abhay Ahuja said that NHSRCL would have to comply with certain terms and conditions prescribed in the approval of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
High Court Was Reached For Felling Of Trees
The NHSRCL had approached the High Court seeking permission to cut mangrove trees in furtherance of the 2018 order passed by a coordination bench. Explain that this order had wholly banned the felling of mangrove trees. However, if such felling is required for any public interest project, the parties (constructive body) can approach the High Court for permission.
Earlier 50 Thousand Trees Were To Be Cut
Advocate Prahlad Paranjpe, appearing for NHRSCL, informed the court that the number of mangrove trees to be cut for the project had been reduced from 50,000 to about 22,000 now. Paranjpe had assured that NHSRCL would plant five times more trees than it had proposed to cut.
Approval Has Been Received From All Departments
He informed that MCZMA and MoEFCC had suggested shifting two platforms near mangroves to a little distance to reduce the number of mangrove trees affected. NHSRCL accepted it.
NHSRCL also claimed that all necessary clearances and approvals had been obtained from statutory authorities to go ahead with the project in case the High Court allows the felling of trees.
