Navi Mumbai locals told to prove test track ‘illegality’

Mumbai: The Bombay high court asked the residents of Navi Mumbai who are objecting to setting up of a vehicle-fitness and brake testing track in their area to prove which development zone norms are being flouted. 

The court also asked the petitioners to justify their submissions of narrow roads leading to traffic snarls if the track was made functional in their zone.

A division bench of Justice A.S. Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a resident, claiming that various problems would arise if the testing track was made functional at Navi Mumbai. 

One of the submissions made by the petitioner through senior advocate Sunil Jha was that the track was coming up in a green zone earmarked as a residential area.

While hearing the submissions, the bench wanted to know the basis of the submissions and whether the claims were based on the development rules as stipulated under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act (MRTP) or they were simply assumptions on the part of the petitioner. The bench further stated that if the petitioner was unable to prove the same, it would not entertain the PIL.