HC allows felling of 2,652 mangroves for two new lines on western railway

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court last week permitted the Western Railway (WR) to fell 2,612 mangroves for the construction of the 5th and 6th railway lines between Borivali and Virar stations.
The WR proposes to construct the two lines between Borivali and Virar as part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) III-A for ₹2,184 crore. It has been granted in-principle approval by a regional empowered committee and the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. The MOEFCC has, however, imposed 20-odd conditions that WR must comply with during construction. The 26-km lines are expected to increase the frequency of trains beyond the western suburbs.
While approving the proposal, the high court has further directed the WR to file an undertaking stating that Western Railway will complete the plantation and maintenance of 7,823 mangroves near the mangroves proposed to be cut.
The WR stated that upon request made by them, the additional chief principal conservator of forests (mangroves) identified land for the plantation and determined the cost of implementing this compensatory mangrove plantation. This exercise, which will cost ₹15 lakh, will be done in addition to the mandatory compensatory afforestation.
The court weighing the broad public interest and welfare environmental consequences of cutting the mangroves said that the project is overwhelmingly in the public interest and has significant ecological benefits. “The construction of the lines will reduce emissions, alleviate traffic congestion, and conserve precious fuel,” the court observed.
The Suburban Railway System in Mumbai, an expanse of 376 kilometres, is utilised by approximately 8 million commuters daily, the court noted, further stating that the services are operated by 284 rakes of 12-car and 15-car configurations used to operate 3,000 train services daily.
Any cutting of mangroves in Mumbai needs to be approved by the Bombay high court in compliance with the judgement of the court in Bombay Environment Action Group v. State of Maharashtra.