The Bombay High Court on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the rapid decline of mangroves in and around Mumbai, warning that continued destruction of the city's green cover could eventually force people to depend on oxygen cylinders for clean air. The observations were made while hearing a petition related to the proposed felling of mangrove trees for a power transmission line connected to the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project. The court stressed that environmental conservation must remain a priority even while implementing major infrastructure projects.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad was hearing a plea filed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (MSETCL). The utility sought permission to remove 847 mangrove trees for the construction of a 132 KV transmission line stretching from Dahanu to Ambesari in Maharashtra's Palghar district. According to the petition, the transmission line is required to support the electricity infrastructure for the upcoming bullet train project connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
During the hearing, the bench observed that the greater concern was not merely the cutting of mangroves but the failure of authorities to ensure the survival of compensatory plantations. The judges remarked that while agencies often claim to have planted replacement trees, they rarely monitor whether those saplings continue to grow. The court noted that simply creating records of plantation drives is insufficient if the trees fail to survive, undermining the purpose of compensatory afforestation.
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The bench also questioned the practice of carrying out compensatory afforestation in locations far from the affected area, stating that planting trees in regions already rich in forest cover does little to offset ecological losses where mangroves are removed. Advocate General Milind Sathe, representing the Maharashtra government, informed the court that authorities intended to identify degraded forest land within the same region for afforestation instead of selecting distant locations. He, however, acknowledged that identifying suitable land would require additional time.
According to the petition, the proposed transmission line spans approximately 13.06 kilometres and requires diversion of about 3.35 hectares of forest land, including nearly 1.97 hectares of mangrove forest. MSETCL stated that three alternative alignments were evaluated before selecting the present route, which it claimed would minimise the impact on forests and other environmentally sensitive areas. The company also submitted that the project is time-sensitive, citing plans for the Prime Minister to inaugurate the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project in October.
The case also highlights the legal safeguards governing mangrove protection in Maharashtra. Following a landmark 2018 Bombay High Court judgment, the destruction of mangroves for any public infrastructure project cannot proceed without prior approval from the court. The latest hearing reflects the judiciary's continued emphasis on balancing development with environmental protection, while ensuring that compensatory measures are meaningful, scientifically planned, and effectively implemented to preserve fragile ecosystems.
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