MoEF clears only one project in Maharashtra after lengthy meeting with CM

MUMBAI: A lengthy meeting between Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jayanti Natrajan and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in Mumbai on Thursday resulted in the state government getting only one “clearance in principal” to build Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in the Arabian sea near Mumbai.

Decisions on most of the other proposals were postponed to future discussions. This meeting between the two leaders was anticipated for a long time and was cancelled twice earlier.

“We were trying to convince the MoEF to allow building a tall Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in the Arabian sea. This project comes under the Costal Regulatory Zone 4 and it was very difficult but as a special case the MoEF has decided to give permission in principal to this project. We have found a rock in the sea which is 16.9 hectares in size. This can be used for the project”, said Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan. Asked about the estimated cost of the project Chavan refused to disclose it. “It is too early to talk of the cost or other aspects,” Chavan replied.

During the three-hour meeting between CM Chavan and Jayanti Natrajan the issues of getting clearances on many projects was discussed but nothing was finalised. Earlier the state government made several presentations to the MoEF on mega projects such as the Coastal road to be built in Mumbai, New International Airport in Navi Mumbai, Expansion of the Mumbai-Goa highway, permission to remove the moratorium on mining in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts in Kokan region but on Thursday most of the clearances were still kept pending.

“The final environmental clearance for Navi Mumbai international airport will be discussed in the Forest Advisory Committee meeting as some part of Karnala bird sanctuary is overlapping with the proposed layout of the airport. We are hopeful that this clearance will happen. The issue of Mumbai-Goa highway expansion was also taken up. The highway passes thru the same bird sanctuary, we expect this issue to be sorted out soon ” CM Chavan said.

“On the costal road project there has been some discussion for a long time as this road will have to be built on reclaimed land and on stilt in some parts we need CRZ clearances. The Environment and Forests minister has assured that she will look into the proposal and will try her best to get the permissions. This proposal may be revied by the concerned panel of MoEF”, CM Chavan added.

The state has also been requesting the centre to lift the moratorium imposed on mining in two districts in Konkan region. On this issue too there was no movement. “The state has sent their response to Kasturirangan committee report. We are waiting for other states to send their responses so that we can decide on the issue for all states,” Natrajan said.