Latest news with #CRZ
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Erect waiting shed at Fort Kochi Ro-Ro jetty within a week, Kerala HC directs Kochi corporation
Kochi: High court has directed the Kochi corporation secretary to erect a temporary waiting shed at the Fort Kochi Ro-Ro Jetty, capable of accommodating at least 50 commuters at a time, at the corporation's expense, within a week. Additionally, the bench of Justice C S Dias instructed Kochi Water Metro Ltd to explore the possibility of providing temporary shelters at both the Fort Kochi and Vypin Water Metro jetties, especially to offer protection to commuters during the monsoon season. The court was hearing a petition concerning the Fort Kochi-Vypin Ro-Ro ferry service. The petition was filed by Nancy Xavier, who sought interim relief directing the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation and Kochi corporation to construct a waiting room at the Fort Kochi Ro-Ro Jetty. She submitted that hundreds of passengers rely on the Ro-Ro ferry service daily, and despite five years having passed since the commencement of services and multiple undertakings by the corporation, no waiting facility had been provided. In response, Kochi corporation informed HC that an estimate of Rs 6.70 lakh had been prepared for constructing a waiting shed, which was awaiting administrative approval. They added that even a temporary shed requires permission from the statutory authority under the Art & Heritage Regulations, framed under the CRZ norms. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ¡Trading con IA en Chile ayuda a usuarios a obtener ganancias potenciales! Mainhubfb Más información Undo The corporation's counsel also pointed out that the Kochi Water Metro has constructed a ticket counter with seating, located adjacent to the Ro-Ro Jetty, which passengers may use. However, HC observed that Kochi corporation cannot shirk its statutory obligations or shift responsibility to the Water Metro authorities, especially since there is no privity of contract between Water Metro and Ro-Ro passengers. The bench also criticised the corporation for failing to provide shelter for commuters who are exposed to the vagaries of nature. The court further directed the petitioner to implead the Coastal Regulation Zone Authority as a party in the proceedings and adjourned the matter to June 10.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Pending coastal maps delay 20 infra projects
Mumbai: As many as 20 infrastructure projects along the Konkan coastline including three passenger jetties in Thane and one in Mulund are stuck due to delays in issuance of Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) maps by the Chennai-based National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM). The state government has been awaiting maps from the agency for six months to a year in some cases, which has pushed up project costs significantly. Ports minister Nitesh Rane has raised the issue with union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav and the minister has directed the agency to issue the maps within a month. NCSCM is an autonomous research institute under the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. Eleven of the 20 proposed projects with a cumulative cost of ₹190.9 crore are located in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The remaining nine projects with a cumulative cost of ₹58.40 crore are located in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. The delay in execution of the 20 projects due to pending CZMP maps was raised during a recent meeting of the ports department. The state government has paid the fees for the maps to NCSCM, but has been awaiting the maps for more than six months up to a year, officials said during the meeting. They also pointed out that last year, the central government withdrew around ₹220 crore from the funds given to the state government for development of port infrastructure as the money could not be utilised due to delays in project execution. On May 28, ports minister Nitesh Rane wrote to union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav regarding the delay in issuance of maps by NCSCM. 'Without CZMP maps, it is not possible to apply for Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) and environmental clearance. Presently, NCSCM Chennai is taking about a year for preparation of maps, which is delaying CRZ and environmental clearance, and in turn delaying the execution of projects escalating project costs too,' Rane stated in the letter, urging the union minister to direct mapping agency to issue the maps within a month. 'I met the union minister personally and informed him about the projects which were delayed due to pending CZMP maps,' Rane told Hindustan Times. 'He called officials at the institute at Chennai immediately and ordered them to resolve the issue in a speedy manner.' Following Yadav's intervention, the state government had a meeting with NCSCM officials over video-conferencing to resolve the issue, said Rane. HT reached out to NCSCM for comments, but did not receive any response from the agency. Environmental activist D Stalin said CZMP maps are crucial to protecting the coastal ecology. 'The concept of ex post facto clearances has been struck down by the Supreme Court, so now, projects cannot commence without prior approval,' he said. 'Pressuring scientific agencies to finalise the maps hurriedly in a haphazard manner would only create further conflict before the judiciary.' Maharashtra has the maximum number of CRZ violations including due to fabrication of maps, he said, adding, 'This cannot continue.'
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Indian Express
Behind action on Madh Island's illegal bungalows, driver who turned to RTI
EARLIER THIS month, when veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty received a show cause notice from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for allegedly carrying out illegal construction at his Madh Island bungalow, it drew attention to a larger, quieter crackdown along Mumbai's fragile western coastline, stretching from Versova to Borivali. In recent weeks, the BMC has issued over 100 notices and razed nearly 30 unauthorised structures in the ecologically sensitive Madh Island, a popular spot in north Mumbai for film shoots and weekend retreats. Behind this sweeping clean-up lies a determined, nearly decade-long battle by Vaibhav Thakur, a 45-year-old driver from Thane whose family owns ancestral land in Erangal village, Madh Island. Thakur's fight began in April 2016 during a routine visit to his family's 2,400 sqft plot, where he discovered encroachments and an under-construction bungalow owned by Rupa Bharat Mehta, wife of businessman Bharat Mehta. Blocked by Mehta's security guards from accessing his plot and shocked to see new residential structures coming up in an area governed by strict Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules, Thakur began a campaign to reclaim his plot. Under CRZ norms, especially in sensitive zones such as Madh Island, new construction is prohibited unless it is essential public infrastructure. Yet, bungalows were being built, often for commercial uses, particularly film shoots that fetched lakhs in rent. Thakur began by documenting the encroachment on his plot and filed multiple applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. 'I was working as a driver in a media house by day, and at night I would be online, learning about CRZ rules, RTI procedures, and land laws,' he says. His activism prompted the BMC to issue a notice to the Mehta family, who defended the construction by producing an old map indicating a bungalow on the site since before the 1960s. This was a crucial detail since bungalows that predate the inclusion of their areas under BMC jurisdiction (early 1960s) are exempt under CRZ rules. Thakur, who had grown up in the area, responded by filing RTIs with the City Survey Office (CSO), the authority responsible for maintaining historical land records. In 2018, the CSO confirmed that no structure existed on the land before the 1960s. In February 2019, he filed another RTI request with the CSO, this time asking for pre-1960 maps of the area. The reply this time contradicted the first response, showing construction on what was officially designated agricultural land. 'I thought somebody at the CSO must be fabricating and forging official records of the maps. When I brought this to the attention of the CSO, initially, there was no response. However, around the same time, digitisation of old maps was taking place in Mumbai and during this process, the CSO itself found discrepancies in its own maps,' says Thakur. This culminated in an FIR in 2020 against unnamed agents, landowner and CSO staff responsible for forged maps, followed by a second FIR in 2021 naming bungalow owner Mehta for allegedly submitting forged maps. Notably, no government official was initially named, something Thakur protested as a cover-up. Thakur didn't stop there, going on to file multiple FIRs and seeking to inspect land record maps that showed the existence of buildings that came up pre-1960. He went on to uncover 865 allegedly falsified entries across Madh Island, Bandra, Vile Parle, Chembur, Goregaon, Borivali and Malad. A third FIR followed, again against agents, landowners and office staff allegedly responsible for forged maps. But once again, no name was mentioned. 'These FIRs were mostly eyewash. Real action was missing. That's when I started approaching political leaders,' Thakur says. The issue was brought up in the state Assembly in 2022, prompting the formation of an independent committee to investigate the allegedly forged documents and identify those responsible. The committee's report confirmed that the papers submitted for constructing bungalows on and around Thakur's plot were indeed forged. But when no police action followed, last year, Thakur filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, demanding a 'proper investigation'. On October 23, 2024, a Bombay High Court bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj K Chavan, while seeking quick investigation in the case, observed, 'The complainant has a legitimate expectation that once the C.R. [crime record] is registered, the same will be taken to its logical end, expeditiously. This legitimate expectation cannot be ignored.' The High Court then ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Mumbai Crime Branch to investigate the four FIRs registered in connection with the case. The SIT has since arrested over 20 individuals, including Deputy Superintendent Shambhuraj Wabde and Deputy Land Records Officer Meena Pandhre. On March 10 this year, the issue was again raised in the Assembly by BJP MLCs Vikrant Patil and Praveen Darekar. Darekar said, 'This question has been raised in the Assembly for the past five years. We cannot back the rich and powerful and take away rights of the poor… If some poor person erects a slum, the entire machinery is activated. Here you have film stars, industrialists and influential people creating illegal structures but not a brick is demolished.' Revenue Minister Chandrashekar Bawankule responded, 'While some government officials have been part of this racket, one has to congratulate the complainant, one Vaibhav Thakur, who tired of no action being taken, filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court…' Announcing the suspension of Wabde and Pandhre, the minister added, 'The clerks under them would take the maps from the offices, forge them to show structures on them and replace the same.' He said that maps of areas under four BMC wards, including Madh Island, had been forged in this manner to enable structures to come up in CRZ areas. Bawankule said the government would ensure that structures that have come up illegally in CRZ areas would be demolished. Following this, the SIT submitted a list of 'forged maps' to the BMC, which launched a drive to demolish illegal constructions in Madh Island and surrounding areas. An SIT officer confirmed that the list of plots with forged maps was handed over to the BMC for further action. BMC P North ward officer Kundan Valvi said, 'Based on the list provided by the Crime Branch we have issued notices to illegal bungalows and also carried out demolitions. While notices have been issued to 101 bungalows, demolitions at 28 structures have taken place.' The notice to actor Mithun Chakraborty was part of this crackdown. Last month, the bungalow on Thakur's plot was finally demolished. 'I am a happy man now. I don't think people who built bungalows in violation of laws thought their structures would be demolished. In order to show that maps were forged in our case, I had to prove the scale at which it was happening. Hence, while it started out as my own fight, we had to include all such cases.' But Thakur insists his fight is not over yet. 'While they have demolished the bungalow, the foundation has not been removed and the accused have hired bouncers who don't let me access my own plot. I will approach the authorities again,' he says.
United News of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
SC declines to intervene in plea against Colaba Jetty Project near Gateway of India
New Delhi, May 27 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court's decision allowing the continuation of construction work on a passenger jetty project near the Gateway of India in Mumbai's Colaba area. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, while hearing the special leave petition filed by residents, questioned the opposition to the infrastructure development. 'Why this 'not in my backyard' behaviour? Everyone wants a sewage treatment plant, but not behind their home,' remarked the CJI. 'There is also a proposal to connect Vashi and Dombivli on the sea route,' he added, highlighting the broader public benefit of such initiatives. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the project was intended to create a private docking facility primarily for those travelling by ferry to Alibaug. However, additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati refuted the claim, asserting that the jetty is meant for daily commuters. 'It is incorrect... the attorney general has clarified that the project is for daily commuters. It was all over the media reports,' she said. The Bombay High Court, in its order dated May 7, had allowed the work at the site, finding that the project served public interest and declined to grant interim relief to the petitioners. Located approximately 280 metres from the historic Gateway of India, the project involves the development of passenger amenities including lounges, ticket counters, retail shops, office spaces, and parking facilities for up to 150 vehicles. The petitioners have raised concerns over the legality of various clearances granted for the project, including the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) approval and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from heritage and traffic authorities. They also cited the lack of mandatory public consultation as a significant procedural lapse. Despite these concerns, the Supreme Court bench declined to intervene, allowing the Bombay High Court's order permitting the project's continuation to stand. UNI SNG PRS
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Second residents' body moves SC against jetty project at Gateway of India
MUMBAI: A second residents' association has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Bombay High Court's refusal to halt the construction of a jetty project near the Gateway of India. The Clean and Heritage Colaba Residents Association (CHCRA) has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the High Court's interim order dated May 7, 2025, which allowed concrete piling work at the seabed near Radio Club to proceed. This comes a week after the Cuffe Parade Residents' Association president moved the apex court with a similar petition. CHCRA's petition, filed through advocates Ayush Anand and Prerak Choudhary, argues that the construction work poses a serious threat to the seaside heritage wall near the Gateway of India and questions whether the High Court erred in failing to weigh the balance of convenience and the potential for irreparable damage. Earlier, in its May 2 order, the High Court had recorded an assurance from the Advocate General of Maharashtra that the heritage wall would not be touched before June 20, 2025. The court had scheduled the next hearing for June 16. However, the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) began piling work—a process involving fixing concrete piles into the seabed—the very next day, on May 3. CHCRA has alleged that this move was aimed at bypassing the interim protection granted by the court. The association subsequently filed an application seeking a stay on all piling activity, but the High Court dismissed it on May 7. The petition also challenges the project's compliance with environmental regulations. It points out that the 2022 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification only permits 'stand-alone jetties' in CRZ-I and CRZ-IV areas. In contrast, the current proposal seeks clearance for 10 jetties, which CHCRA describes as 'ex facie illegal and impermissible'. The petition further contends that the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the MMB have approved the Passenger Jetty and Terminal Facilities project without adequately considering objections from local residents and stakeholders. It cites Rule 8(V) of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Rules, which requires that public concerns be addressed before such approvals are granted. Additionally, the association has raised concerns over the MCZMA's alleged failure to acknowledge the presence of the heritage seawall—a significant feature of the Gateway of India precinct. Demolition of this wall, the petition argues, would cause irreversible harm to the city's architectural legacy. Accusing the High Court of overlooking the heritage concerns, CHCRA has urged the Supreme Court to grant an ex parte interim stay on the May 7 order and to restrain the state government from taking any coercive action against the petitioners.
