Document Fragment View

Matching Fragments

a. The Bullet Train will connect Mumbai - Ahmedabad covering a distance of 508.17 kms. Out of the said distance, 155.642 kms is in Maharashtra, 4.302 kms in the Union Territory of Dadra, Nagar and Haveli and 348.226 kms is in the State of Gujarat. Out of the 155.642 km alignment in Maharashtra, 21.913 km falls within Coastal Regulation Zone.

b. NHSRCL : NHSRCL is a Govenment Company set up under Ministry of Railway with partnerships from State of Maharashtra and State of Gujarat. Ministry of Railways have already granted approva to the Bullet Train on a careful consideration of feasibility, environment impact, cost and other important parameters of the project.

e. Reduction in travel time : Bullet Train will reduce travel time between Ahmedabad and Mumbai from present six and half hours to two and half hours. This is the frst bullet train project conceptualized and being executed in India.

f. Globally accepted mode of transport : Bullet Train is a fast, safe, punctual, cost-efective and viable mode of transport in over 20 countries including China, WP-442-2020-J.odt United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and is under development in another 14 countries including Russia, Qatar, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico etc. Thus, the Bullet train is a proven efcient, environment friendly, feasible, viable and globally accepted mode of transport.

g. Generation of employment : The project will also generate employment of about 20,000 people in construction phase and operations and maintenance will employ (direct) approximate 4000 people and about 16,000 indirect jobs are also expected to be generated. h. Increase in connectivity in the busy corridor of Ahmedabad and Mumbai : Bullet train would increase connectivity in the busy trade corridor of Ahmedabad and Mumbai which in turn increases economic productivity. Bullet train runs on electricity and hence saves valuable cost on conventional fuel which in turn reduces pollution and carbon footprint."

(f) Development of green feld airport already approved at only Navi Mumbai;"

33. Mr. Khambata submits that neither railways / railway projects nor the high speed rail project is mentioned above thereby meaning that the said activity/project is clearly prohibited with respect to CRZ-I zone. He further submits that the said judgment in the case of Bombay Environmental Action Group (supra) does not override the legal prohibitions in the CRZ Notifcation of 2011 including paragraph 8 thereof. He submits that paragraph 83(viii) of the said judgment could only have imposed an additional requirement/safeguard upon paragraph 8 that where a proposed project or activity which falls under CRZ-I area is permissible under paragraph 8 of the CRZ Notifcation, that a project proponent must approach this Court for permission to cut/fell mangroves and it is only if this Court considers that the said project is for public good or is in public interest, that the destruction of mangroves even for activities under paragraph 8 is permitted. The need for this Court's permission, he submits, is notwithstanding that the activity is permissible in CRZ-I. He submits that the Project, i.e., the bullet train project, admittedly, falls within the CRZ-I area. However, since the bullet train project or the railways is not included as a permissible activity under paragraph 8 of the CRZ Notifcation, he submits that the present petition is not maintainable.