Bombay high court: Will coastal road project destroy oyster beds?

The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday directed the state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to respond to a report indicating that the reclamation for the coastal road is likely to destroy oyster beds along the city’s shoreline.

The report, submitted by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), identified the proposed area for the project as an oyster bed. “Oysters being sedentary organisms, breed in the intertidal rocky area and their larvae need suitable substrate/rocks for attachment,” said the report. “Present reclamation will adversely affect their life cycle and destroy oyster beds in the area,” it added.

The preliminary report was prepared by CMFRI following a two-day rapid survey of the coastal areas along the proposed coastal road, pursuant to an earlier HC order.

The directive was issued following a petition filed by the Worli Koliwada Nakhwa Matsya Vyavsay Sahakari Society Limited, a fishermen’s association, expressing apprehension that the coastal road project — involving reclamation of land along the shoreline and construction of stilted roads — will likely have a profound impact on their customary right of fishing and adversely affect their livelihood.

Senior advocate Gayatri Singh on Tuesday urged the division bench of chief justice Pradeep Nandrajog and justice Nitin Jamdar to stay the reclamation work, at least near Worli Koliwada area, to prevent possible destruction of the oyster beds.

However, the high court sought a response from the state and BMC to CMFRI’s report.

The HC posted the petition for further hearing on April 23.

First Published: Apr 10, 2019 00:14 IST