NEW DELHI: In what can be termed as a massive relief to the Maharashtra government, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Bombay High Court order quashing the Coastal Road Zone clearances granted to the city civic body’s ambitious Rs 14,000 crore coastal road project.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde however, said that the authorities can reclaim the land meant for construction of the eight-lane 29.2 km-long road project but cannot execute other developmental works.
The project of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai proposes to connect the Marine Drive area in south Mumbai to the suburban Borivali in north Mumbai.During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state said that it is a 29.2 kilometre stretch along the coastal line connecting Marine Drive to the suburban area of Mumbai and said that the High Court had stayed the order due to want of environmental clearances.
Mehta further said that there is no space left in Mumbai and that this project was started in 2018 to ease the traffic situation of the city. He also noted that there is a deadline of the year 2022 for its completion.Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the civic body, said that they had Coastal Zone Clearances but did not have environmental clearances as it was not a national highway.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioners before the High Court, opposed the state government and said that it is a serious matter and the court should fix it for final hearing after the winter vacation.
The bench said it would stay the High Court verdict and hear the matter in March.The bench was hearing appeals filed by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Larsen and Toubro Ltd and HCC HDC JV.On October 23, the top court had refused to grant an interim stay of the HC verdict.