‘Cancel CRZ clearance for proposed Nerul golf course’
The petition by Bharat Bhushan Gupta, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times, points out that construction of the golf course had not yet commenced as of January 10, 2023, which is in itself a violation of terms stipulated by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) on January 11, 2018, when the project received CRZ clearance
Mumbai: A Navi Mumbai resident has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking cancellation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance granted to a proposed 34-hectare golf course in Nerul, which will eat into the TS Chanakya and NRI wetlands; a key habitat for flamingos and other migratory birds in the winter.
The petition by Bharat Bhushan Gupta, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times, points out that construction of the golf course had not yet commenced as of January 10, 2023, which is in itself a violation of terms stipulated by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) on January 11, 2018, when the project received CRZ clearance.
As per the iteration of the CRZ Notification in effect at the time, “Clearance accorded to the projects under this
notification shall be valid for a period of seven years from the date of issue provided that construction activities shall commence within a period of five years... and construction be completed within seven years.”
Despite having made no tangible progress, the MCZMA on December 7 last year allowed the project -- being executed by Mistry Constructions, an Adani subsidiary — a CRZ extension up to January 2025. The project, HT had first reported in May last year, was reportedly scrapped by the Adani group to obtain environment clearance (EC) for the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The NMIA’s environment impact assessment (EIA) report, submitted to the union environment ministry in September 2021, categorically stated that the golf course is no longer being pursued. The NMIA was then recommended for EC by an MoEFCC committee in November 2021. The EIA report identified the TS Chanakya and NRI wetlands as “large-sized roosting sites” for birds, in addition to a third roosting site at Panje in Uran.
Despite what has been submitted to the MoEFCC, minutes of the MCZMA’s December 7 meeting indicate that the golf course project is very much on the anvil. In January this year, HT reported on the renewed ecological concerns which have been sparked by the MCZMA’s decision.
“BNHS strictly suggests that proponents should protect and conserve the following biologically important wetlands, including NRI (Non-Residential Indian) complex, Delhi Public School (DPS), Training Ship Chanakya (TSC), Panje, NSPS (Nava Sheva Police Station) and Jasai where large aggregations of birds are observed,” stated the Adani Group’s EIA report for the Navi Mumbai Airport. “Our overall approach is to conserve the three existing roosting sites – this has resulted in the cancellation of several prestigious projects like the golf course on wetland area to the north-west,” the report continued.
The golf course project has also been at the centre of a legal battle waged by Navi Mumbai residents Sunil and Shruti Agarwal, challenging CIDCO’s October 2016 notification converting the land use of the site from ‘no development zone’ to ‘regional park zone’, thus paving way for the golf course in a protected wetland area (the land is classified as CRZ-1, per the CZMP for Thane district).
When contacted for a comment, Gupta -- who is a resident of Seawoods in Navi Mumbai -- referred HT to a February 22, 2023, letter he wrote to the MCZMA, pointing out the apparent lapse in scrutiny on their part. “The MCZMA has failed to recognized that there is a violation of the conditions of the CRZ Clearance dated 11.01.2018, as construction of the impugned golf course has as yet not commenced...In order to protect the health and environment of the region, the MCZMA must cancel the CRZ Clearance dated 11.01.2018 granted to M/s Mistry Construction Pvt. Ltd. for construction of Golf Course at Sector 60, Nerul, Navi Mumbai,” he wrote.
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