Need 15 hectares more for submerged sea wall, no wildlife nod needed as corals ‘outside project site’: BMC

MUMBAI: In the Coastal road project matter before the Supreme Court, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said that revised estimate of proposed reclamation for the project now stands at 111 hectares, with 15 hectares more needed for a submerged sea wall.
The BMC also said that “no reclamation has as yet been carried out at Worli Promenade extension which is for continuity of the promenade’’ and “no reclamation will be done in this area without permission of MoEF.’’
The BMC also said that at Haji Ali Bay, there was no additional reclamation done but “only temporary enabling works of interchange bridge foundation (essential for load testing).
Significantly, the BMC said it is not required to get a clearance under the Wildlife Protection Act as minuscule amounts of coral found at Haji Ali (0.11 m sq) and Worli (0.25 m sq) are outside the project site 100 m from high tide line.
The BMC, in the written submission filed on Tuesday, said, “the original estimate of 90 hectares of reclamation being required has undergone revision after the work has actually got underway. The reclamation is now expected to be an estimated 111hectares by the time the project is complete.’’ It said that the “sloping design of sea wall which will also lead to reclamation of about 15 hectares is additional to the 96 which will be the surface area of the project.’’
“The sea wall will be submerged and thus will not add to the surface area of usable reclaimed land,’’ said the BMC which had on September 7 also filed another additional affidavit in response after a rejoinder filed on September 4 by activist Shweta Wagh and Worli fisherfolk—the original petitioner before the Bombay high court against the clearances received for the ambitious project.
“The construction of sea wall with armour rocks is eco-friendly and will also help enhance marine biodiversity,’’ said the BMC, citing Mumbai research centre of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.
The matter is to be heard by the SC on Wednesday.
Debi Goenka of Conservation Action Trust (CAT), also one of the original petitioners against the project, says no new affidavit has been filed by activists but said “the work being carried out by BMC appears to be in violation of the December 2019 interim order of the SC and the BMC still doesn’t have either an EC or a wildlife clearance.’’
The BMC said as on August 15, it had reclaimed over 52 hectares including about 4.5 hectares towards the sea-wall.
The civic body which is the implementing agency for the project said the “entire reclamation is required for construction and to secure the carriage way.’’
It said reclamation was “necessary’’ as “without reclamation of areas between the shore line and carriage way, sea water would accumulate in the residuary open areas as a result of which tidal flow may de-stabilize the carriage so constructed.’’ “The accumulation of sea water would consequently lead to …formation of swampy lagoons of sea water which pose health hazards, vulnerability of road against natural calamities.’’
The BMC said its reclamation is “in compliance’’ with the SC order which permitted it to “reclaim land, build the road and secure the road.’’ It said application for additional reclamation is not unusual in projects of this nature, once execution of work reveals necessity of actual extent of work.’’
The project is for a road and the “open green spaces are merely incidental to reclamation required for the road,’’ said the BMC seeking expeditious hearing of its SLP and dismissal of all other applications by activists.
The BMC also explained that the reclamation for the road was 34 hectares and “not 20 hectares” and included 10 hectares of promenade and 4 hectares of the median.
Wagh, in her written submission, said, “piecemeal clearance process is alien to CRZ notification and BMC has already carried out work in excess area without making a reference to MoEF.’’
Wagh and the Worli fishing society also said that one of main conditions of CRZ notification is to render the coastal ecology to its original state after completion of project, but reports show that “damage to flora and fauna will be irreversible."
She said the EIA report mentions “destruction and damage to sensitive coastal vegetation’’ and a Marine Diversity Conservation Plan prepared by CSIR-NIO in September 2019 said “piling and reclamation are being the major physical activity of the project. It is known that increase in these events have an adverse impact on biodiversity and potentially effect the surrounding areas. Major impact would be habitat destruction because of dislodging of sediment and reclamation.’’
The BMC said none of the work carried out by it has impacted or destroyed any corals.
BMC, however, said it has sought permission from National Board for Wildlife to carry out work in certain areas of Worli and Haji Ali and an application to transplant the corals is proposed to be made.