Mumbai’s Coastal Road Project gets environment ministry nod

NEW DELHI: Amid criticism that his ministry is doling out green clearances, environment minister Prakash Javadekar has given the go ahead for the long awaited Mumbai Coastal Road — a 35-kmlong proposed coastal road between Nariman Point and Kandivali in north.

Addressing a press conference detailing achievements by his ministry in his one-year long tenure, Javadekar confirmed green clearance for the coastal road project in his home state.
Javadekar said that the clearance for the Mumbai coastal road that is expected to considerably de-congest the city, has come with conditions that will ensure coastal and marine life are not hit by the project. Among the conditions proposed are that there will be minimum reclamation of coastal land, no commercial activity to be permitted on reclaimed land and the project should stay clear of the high tide line. Maharashtra government, said Javadekar, had agreed to the conditions.

To ensure it is on the politically safe side of the debate, the environment ministry prefers to refer to the Nilgai as a ‘Bluebull’ instead of the cow. States like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have often complained about the damage that herds of Nilgai can wreak on crops. Nilagi and wild boar are mostly reported as problem animals by states.

The Centre has earlier this year asked states to send proposals on any animal other than the endangered ones that are seen as vermin. Under existing provisions, the Chief Wildlife Warden of a state can declare an animal as vermin after having got prior permission from the Centre under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. Once declared vermin, permission for culling the animal is permitted.

While the environment ministry under Javadekar has often been criticised for doling out clearances, he defended the same saying that all decisions were policy based and well deliberated upon.

Among approvals given during his one-year long tenure, Javadekar counted out Project Sea Bird of Indian Navy at Karwar pending since 2011, the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Arabian Sea off Mumbai coast, Damancherla Power Project in Nalagonda district, Telangana, Chennai Port Mega Terminal pending since 2012 and a number of National Highway expansion projects.

Javadekar on Monday said that his ministry will pilot amendments to various environmental laws in the winter session of Parliament to bring in stiffer regulations and higher penalties to check violations and ensure implementation of rules. “India has adequate laws and regulations but there is little implementation of these…we will increase penalties, bring in new rules where required and ensure implementation,” Javadekar said in a press conference held in New Delhi.