The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has identified land in Mora jetty at Uran in Navi Mumbai that could be used to shift the flamingo habitat set to be displaced by the 22-km long Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) that will connect Sewri to Nhava Shewa.
In October, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had cancelled the clearance that was given to MTHL citing that proper procedure was not followed for Coastal Regulation Zone clearance by the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA).
Sanjay Khandare, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “We have identified land in Navi Mumbai where the mudflats, mangroves and the habitat of flamingos can be shifted. However, as the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) — which comes under the MoEF — suggested earlier, it is not feasible to change the alignment of the project. The project has already got clearance from the Prime Minister’s Office and also from the archeological and geological department. It is not possible to change the alignment, but we will comply with the suggestions given by the FAC and BNHS.”
A high-level meeting between the MMRDA and the FAC of the MoEF is scheduled on Tuesday, at New Delhi, to discuss the ongoing environmental clearances required for the MTHL project to start off. A senior MMRDA official said, “The project has already got a go-ahead from the MCZMA and we hope to get all the environment permissions required for the project.”
It was earlier reported by The Asian Age, that a team from Japanese International Cooperation Agency has come to Mumbai in order to conduct a re-study of the 22-km-long MTHL. The report is expected to be available by December. This came after the MMRDA was made to apply for fresh permissions from MCZMA and MoEF.
