Bombay High Court
Maharashtra State Road Development ... vs Union Of India And 3 Ors on 19 December, 2019
Bench: S.C. Dharmadhikari, R.I. Chagla
1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC
Jsn
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION
WRIT PETITION NO.2189 OF 2019
Maharashtra State Road Development ...Petitioner
Corporation Ltd.
Vs.
Union of India & Ors. ...Respondents
Dr. Milind Sathe, Senior Counsel with Mr. Saket Mone, Mr. Subit
Chakrabarti, Mr. Vishesh Kalra and Mr. Abhishek Salian i/b.
Vidhi Partners for the Petitioner.
Mr. Rui Rodgrigues with Mr. N.R. Prajapati for Respondent No.1 -
UoI.
Ms. Sharmila Deshmukh with Ms. Jaya Bagwe for Respondent
No.2.
Ms. P.H. Kantharia, Govt.Pleader for Respondent Nos.3 and 4.
Mr. Pheroze Mehta and Ms. Rishika Harish, Amicus Curiae
present.
CORAM: S.C. DHARMADHIKARI &
R.I. CHAGLA, JJ.
ORDER RESERVED ON 04 TH DECEMBER, 2019.
ORDER PRONOUNCED ON 19TH DECEMBER, 2019.
O R D E R ( Per R.I. Chagla, J. )
1. Heard. Rule. Respondents waive service.
2. The Petitioner's application for interim relief shall now be considered.
1/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 :::1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC
3. The Petitioner by this Writ Petition is seeking a writ of mandamus directing the Respondent authorities to permit the Petitioner to execute the proposed construction of a major bridge across Thane Creek (TCB-III) on Sion Panvel Road at Village Vashi and Turbhe. The proposed project is of immense public importance. The importance for the project has been highlighted in paragraph II on pages 8 and 9 of the Petition. The Petitioner has sought permission of this Court to execute projects in view of Clause (viii) of paragraph 83 of the order passed by this Court in Public Interest Litigation No.87 of 2006 dated 17th September, 2018.
4. It is submitted on behalf of the Petitioner that the permissions / clearances have been obtained by the Petitioner from the Respondent authorities. The office of the Hydrographer, Maharashtra Maritime Board was pleased to grant Navigational clearance vide 20th May, 2017 under the provisions of the Indian Ports Act, 1908, Maharashtra Maritime Board Act, 1996 and the Government of Maharashtra Home Department Government Resolution dated 29th June, 2007 on the terms and conditions contained therein. An in principle approval has been obtained by the Petitioner from Central Railways upon scrutinizing the 2/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 ::: 1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC proposed construction vide letter dated 25th May, 2017. The Cabinet Infrastructure Committee accorded its approval to the said project on 13th June, 2017. Administrative approval was granted to the same by the Government of Maharashtra vide GR dated 24th November, 2017. On 5th December, 2018, the State Board for Wildlife was pleased to recommend the said project to the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. This has been further recommended by the National Board for Wildlife in its 53rd Meeting held on 25th February, 2019 subject to compliance with the terms and conditions. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), State of Maharashtra, after appraising the proposal of the Petitioner has granted its approval to the said project on the terms laid down by the National Board for Wildlife. It is submitted that considering that the project involved the diversion of 1.4074 Ha reserved mangroves land and destruction of 430 Nos. of mangroves trees, an application was made under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 by the Petitioner. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest was pleased to recommend the proposal to the Respondent No.1 for grant of Forest Clearance vide letter dated 4th April, 2019. Respondent No.1 on 14th May, 2019 based on the recommendations dated 4th 3/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 ::: 1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC April, 2019 and upon due appraisal of the proposal has granted Stage - I in principle approval under Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for diversion of 1.4074 Ha reserved mangroves forest land on the terms and conditions contained therein. The State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority ("SEIAA") on 25th June, 2019 considered the proposal of the Petitioner in its 159th Meeting and after due appraisal and consideration of the recommendation granted by the Respondent No.2 (MCZMA) in its 114th Meeting, was pleased to grant CRZ clearance to the Petitioner on the terms and conditions contained therein.
5. The Amicus Curiae appointed by this Court has highlighted certain orders passed by this Court for the preservation of mangroves. The first of the orders passed by the Division Bench of this Court in Writ Petition No.3246 of 2004 is dated 6th October, 2005. The relevant paragraphs 6 and 8 are reproduced herein below:-
6. This Order is passed to prevent further destruction of mangroves and to ensure the conservation and rejuvenation of mangroves in the State of Maharashtra.
4/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 :::1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC
8. The State Government is directed to designate a Senior Officer not below the rank of concerned District Magistrate and Collector and Deputy Commissioner of Police/Superintendent of Police to oversee the implementation of the following directions. They would entertain complaints from citizens in respect of mangrove destruction. The name, address and contact information of such officers shall be advertised prominently in one English newspaper and two Marathi newspapers, apart from the official websites of the Maharashtra Government and the Forest Department.
That there shall be a total freeze on the destruction and cutting of mangroves in the entire State of Maharashtra. We take note of the fact that in T.N. Godavarman Thirumulkpad vs. Union of India and Ors. etc. [Writ Petition (C )No. 202 of 1995 and 171 of 1996], an affidavit was filed on behalf of the State of Maharashtra by the Chief Conservator of Forests (Administration), in which on the basis of a report of an Expert Committee, it was stated that in the Mumbai Urban Area alone, 1,534 hectares of land were, inter alia, classified as mangrove areas.
(ii) All construction and rubble/garbage dumping on the mangrove areas shall be stopped forthwith;
(iii) Regardless of ownership of the land, all construction taking place within 50 metres on all sides of all mangroves shall be forthwith stopped ;
(iv) No development permission whatsoever shall be issued by any authority in the State of Maharashtra in respect of any area under mangroves.
(v) The Municipal Commissioner of Greater Mumbai shall forthwith issue the necessary directions to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai Building Proposals Department not to entertain any applications for development (as defined in the 5/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 ::: 1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966) on or in respect of the mangrove lands, regardless of the nature of ownership;
(vi) The State Government and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) are directed to file monthly report on the above action plan to this Court. The first report will be submitted within four weeks from today. The report shall specifically state, in addition to the progress/ action taken,
(a) the number of complaints received, if any,
(b) the action taken thereon, if any, ( c) the number of offenders named, and
(d) the details of prosecutions / action launched/taken against such offenders.
(vii) The State of Maharashtra is directed to file in Court and furnish to the petitioners copies of the maps referred to in paragraph 10 of the affidavit dated 16th August, 2005, filed by Mr.Gajanand Varade, Director, Environment Department, State of Maharashtra (Page 346 on the record), within four weeks from today;
(viii) The areas shown as mangrove area in the satellite study report "Mapping of mangroves in the Maharashtra State using Satellite Remote Sensing"
dated August, 2005, prepared by the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) for the MCZMA which was submitted to this Court on 29th August, 2005, form part of Phase I of the mapping by MRSAC. The MRSAC will, in Phase-II, carry out mangroves study using high resolution for detailed mapping of mangroves with a view to identify more precisely mangrove areas in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. After receiving the said satellite data, transfer of mangrove details on city survey / village maps (cadastral map) will be carried out within a period of 6 months from today;6/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 :::
1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC
(ix) After the aforesaid process in clause (viii) is completed, the areas so identified which are government owned shall be declared and notified as "protected forests" in accordance with law after carrying out ground survey etc. The areas so identified that are privately owned shall be declared and notified as "forests" in accordance with law, after carrying out ground survey etc. The said declaration/notification will be completed within a period of 8 weeks of the completion of Phase-II mapping;
(viii) The areas shown as mangrove area in the satellite study report "Mapping of mangroves in the Maharashtra State using Satellite Remote Sensing"
dated August, 2005, prepared by the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) for the MCZMA which was submitted to this Court on 29th August, 2005, form part of Phase I of the mapping by MRSAC. The MRSAC will, in Phase-II, carry out mangroves study using high resolution for detailed mapping of mangroves with a view to identify more precisely mangrove areas in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. After receiving the said satellite data, transfer of mangrove details on city survey/village maps (cadastral map) will be carried out within a period of 6 months from today;
(ix) After the aforesaid process in clause (viii) is completed, the areas so identified which are government owned shall be declared and notified as "protected forests" in accordance with law after carrying out ground survey etc. The areas so identified that are privately owned shall be declared and notified as "forests" in accordance with law, after carrying out ground survey etc. The said declaration/notification will be completed within a period of 8 weeks of the completion of Phase-II mapping;
(x) The mangrove areas that are on government owned lands will be handed over to the Forest Department within a period of 12 weeks from the 7/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 ::: 1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC declaration of the same as "protected forests";
(xi) From the list of "mangrove areas" so identified, Government owned lands will automatically be declared/notified as "protected forests". Likewise, privately owned lands from the list of mangrove areas so identified, the same will be declared/notified as "forests";
(xii) The Secretary, Revenue Department, shall from the said date of taking over possession of the Government owned land by the Forest Department, update all the revenue records to ensure that the said Government lands are shown as "protected forests" in the said revenue records within a period of 12 weeks from the same being declared as "protected forests". In the case of lands that are private owned, the secretary, Revenue Department, shall update all the revenue records to ensure that the said private lands are shown as "forests" in the said revenue records within a period of 12 weeks of completion of the steps in clause (x) above;
(xiii) In respect of Government lands, the Forest Department and other authorities of the State of Maharashtra shall take the following necessary steps of protection, conservation and regeneration of the areas that would be declared/notified as "protected forests: in terms of clause (x) above;
(a) Removal of all obstructions that are impeding the growth of mangroves as also the impediments which restrict the flow of sea water in the mangrove areas;
(b) Wherever mangrove growth is found to be sparse and denuded (i.e. with forest density less than 0.4 which means canopy less than 40%) within these identified areas, taking necessary steps for rejuvenation;
(c) On identification of the areas as forest, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai would remove garbage and debris within these areas 8/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 ::: 1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC within a period of three months as per the instructions of the Forest Department. These areas shall be rejuvenated with mangroves;
(d) The Forest Department is directed to take necessary action against the offenders in accordance with law for damaging or destroying mangroves.
6. Further in paragraph 9 of the above order it was provided that the officer designated in paragraph 8 shall submit a report on the action plan every three months to this Court. The first of such reports shall be submitted within four weeks from the date of declaration / notification as "protected forest".
7. Thereafter, a subsequent order dated 27th January, 2010 came to be passed by the Division Bench of this Court. The relevant paragraphs of the said order are paragraph 6 and 8 which are reproduced below:-
6. We find much substance in the submission made by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, in so far as it pertains to effective and meaningful implementation of the order dated 6th October, 2005. The State may take its own time for implementing the order dated 6th October, 2005 but this Court was very much concerned and was required to pass this order to prevent further destruction of mangroves and to ensure the conservation and rejuvenation of mangroves in the State of Maharashtra. It further directed that the Maharashtra State using Satellite Remote Sensing 9/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 ::: 1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC is directed to prepare phase-II of the mapping for carrying out mangroves study using high resolution satellite data of 65 cms. spatial resolutions / one meter spatial resolution for detailed mapping of mangroves with a view to identify more precisely mangrove areas. After receiving the said date transfer of mangrove details on city survey / village maps (cadestral map) would be done. Thereafter this Court directed and the learned Advocate General gave assurance that the said exercise is likely to take about six months. By mentioning that it has become imperative to pass interim order to protect the mangroves during the interregnum. It further clarified that this order shall not apply to all those cases which are specifically\ governed by injunction or stay order passed by the Courts.
8. So far as the grievance of the applicants, as regards permission which is sought to be granted by the authorities is concerned, we make it clear that nothing prevents the statutory or local and private bodies and their contractors to approach the competent authorities to seek permission for their respective projects as required in accordance with the law for the projects which are likely to affect mangroves area in the State of Maharashtra as specified in mapping of mangroves whereby mangrove areas stand delineated and the authorities on such an application being filed, would consider it strictly in accordance with law in the light of the interim orders passed by this Court from time to time and keeping in mind principle of sustainable development. If such permission is granted by the competent authority the same shall be subject to approval of this Court and the parties should obtain leave of the court before implementing the project in mangroves area. This will enable the Court to monitor whether the principle of sustainable development is being scrupulously followed or not for the preservation, protection of mangroves area which is ecologically fragile area.
10/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 :::1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC
8. Thus, in paragraph 8 it is provided that permission can be sought by statutory or local and private bodies and their contractors from the authorities and the authorities can grant such permission to respective projects required in accordance with law which are likely to affect mangroves area in the State of Maharashtra. However, such permission granted shall be subject to the approval of this Court and the parties should obtain leave of this Court before implementing the project in the mangroves area.
This will enable the Court to monitor whether the principle of sustainable development is being scrupulously followed or not for the preservation, protection of mangroves area which is an ecologically fragile area.
9. This Court by judgment dated 17th September, 2018 disposed of the Public Interest Litigation No.87 of 2006. It was provided in paragraph 83 (viii) as under:-
(viii) In view of applicability of public trust doctrine, the State is duty bound to protect and preserve mangroves. The mangroves cannot be permitted to be destructed by the State for private, commercial or any other use unless the Court finds it necessary for the public good or public interest;"
10. It was further held in paragraph 85 (A) of the said Judgment that the directions which were issued in the order dated 11/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 ::: 1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC 6th October, 2005 shall continue to operate as final directions and the terms have been set out therein. This includes that there shall be a total freeze on the destruction and cutting of mangroves in the entire State of Maharashtra. This would have to be read with paragraph 83(viii) which provides that mangroves cannot be permitted to be destructed by the State for private, commercial or any other use unless the Court finds it necessary for the public good or public interest.
11. The present project which is for the construction of major bridge across Thane Creek (TCB-III) on Sion Panvel Road at Village Vashi and Turbhe. Thus, the present project is necessarily for the public good and in public interest. Considering that similar permissions have previously been granted by this Court in fit cases where the project proponents have sought to execute projects of bonafide public utility, permission in this case would also be required to be granted. Further, the requisite permissions have also been obtained from the Respondent authorities
12. We accordingly by way of interim relief permit the Petitioner to execute the proposed construction of major bridge across Thane Creek (TCB-III) on Sion Panvel Road at Village Vashi and 12/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 ::: 1075-WP-2189-2019.DOC Turbhe. This would never the less be subject to the Petitioner strictly complying with the conditions imposed in the permissions granted by the Respondent authorities. It is made clear that this order shall not be construed as an opinion on the merits of the permissions granted by the Respondent authorities to the Petitioner for execution of the project.
( R. I. CHAGLA J. ) (S.C. DHARMADHIKARI, J.) 13/13 ::: Uploaded on - 20/12/2019 ::: Downloaded on - 21/12/2019 00:20:35 :::