Shivaji statue: NGT seeks government reply

The National Green Tribunal (west zone) in Pune on Friday gave 24 days to the Maharashtra government, Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and other respondents to file their reply on the Environment Interest Litigation (EIL) requesting it to restrain the government from carrying out the construction of a proposed memorial to Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Mumbai.

Damodar Tandel, president of Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kriti Samiti and Pradip Patade, a marine conservationist, have filed a litigation in the NGT asking it to restrain the government from carrying out any construction, including installation of an equestrian statue of Shivaji in the Arabian Sea because according to them it would cause huge destruction of marine life and impact livelihoods of fishermen.

According to petitioner’s lawyer Asim Sarode, the government of Maharashtra and all their counterpart departments were present with advocates but when the petitioner pointed out that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is the main respondent and despite notices sent to them long ago, they were not present the NGT bench expressed displeasure over it.

Mr Sarode also said that the NGT bench comprising Justice U.D. Salavi and Dr Ajay Deshpande noted that if M0EFCC continued to remain absent the bench would proceed with the matter ex-parte (without them being heard).

In the meantime, other respondents have sought time to file a reply and hence the bench granted them time till October 24 for further hearing.

The petitioners have alleged that the government used manipulating tactics to obtain environment and coastal regulation zone (CRZ) clearance and also acquire No Objections Certificates (NOC) from various government agencies.

Mr Sarode has also alleged that the MoEF, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board and other departments concerned have issued NOCs for the construction of the memorial without observing the provisions of various existing laws, rules, notifications, among others, made for preservation of coastal environment.