The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has directed the Raigad district collector to investigate allegations of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations in the execution of the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Navi Mumbai. The directive follows a complaint filed by the NatConnect Foundation on the PMO Public Grievance website, claiming that PMAY projects, particularly in the Mansarovar and Kharghar areas, have been developed too close to mangroves, mudflats, and intertidal wetlands.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) forwarded the complaint to the MCZMA for further investigation.
B.N. Kumar, director of NatConnect, pointed out that the compound wall of the Kharghar PMAY project, located on the northern side of the railway station, is dangerously close to mangroves, with the distance between the project and the sea plants ranging from just 8 to 25 meters. This violates both central and state environmental clearances for the project, Kumar argued.
The Environmental Clearance (EC) summary issued by the Union Ministry of Environment & Climate Change clearly stated that no mangroves would be impacted during construction, and a 50-meter buffer zone must be maintained. Additionally, the EC required a thick vegetation buffer of tall trees with foliage to mitigate fugitive dust emissions toward the mangrove area. The clearances were granted following inspections by the state’s Mangrove Cell, with the condition that mangrove zones should remain untouched.
To support their claim, NatConnect submitted recent Google Earth images and on-ground photographs.
At its 143rd meeting on February 4, 2020, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority noted that parts of these projects fell within CRZ-1. As a result, CIDCO was prohibited from any construction within the 50-meter mangrove buffer zone and was required to maintain a 100-meter setback from the creek.
However, the Kharghar project presents a significant concern, as the PMAY buildings have been constructed in violation of these guidelines, Kumar warned. He added that the compound wall might push the high-tide line toward the Panvel Creek, leading to flooding in other areas as water seeks alternative routes, ignoring CIDCO’s construction boundaries.
Jyoti Nadkarni from the Kharghar Hills and Wetland Forum criticized the urban planning, pointing out that housing colonies are being built in coastal areas, despite global concerns over rising sea levels.
Environmentalists are calling for an on-site inquiry and preventive measures to protect both people and property. NatConnect emphasized that taxpayer money is being used as subsidies for the PMAY projects, and they have offered to accompany investigative teams to highlight the violations.
Kumar also raised concerns about the 10,000 people expected to reside in the Kharghar PMAY project, warning that they could be under constant threat from tidal waves.