4.5-acre mangrove forest to make way for Tata Power switching station

The estimated cost of the project is ₹177 crore, and part of it falls under the eco-sensitive zone of the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance

Mumbai: Around 4.5 acres of mangrove forest in Vikhroli is likely to be axed for Tata Power’s proposed 400kV switching station, which will cater to increased power demand in south Mumbai. The proposed project falls under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) IA – comprising mangroves, mangrove buffer zones and eco-sensitive areas, and CRZ II – comprising urban and developed areas; and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) will take up the proposal for axing mangroves in the project area later this month.

4.5-acre mangrove forest to make way for Tata Power switching station

As per Tata Power’s proposal submitted before the MCZMA, the switching station and internal road for operations and maintenance cuts across CRZ IA and CRZ II areas, as per the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan, 2019 prepared by the Institute of Remote Sensing, Chennai.

An outgoing cable from the switching station shall be buried along the BMC Lagoon approach road, which falls entirely under CRZ IA. The project also includes an overhead transmission line spanning 446.61 metres, which is entirely under CRZ IA, while 560.37 metres of the 11.5-km underground transmission line falls under CRZ, the proposal says.

The estimated cost of the project is ₹177 crore, and part of it falls under the eco-sensitive zone of the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. For this, Tata Power will separately seek clearance from the ESZ Monitoring Committee, Mumbai, the proposal said.

According to the proposal, the project is strategically important considering increasing demand for reliable and quality power supply in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. In south Mumbai, demand for electricity is likely to shoot up once key infrastructure projects – such as BDD chawl redevelopment, Dharavi redevelopment, Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment, Kamathipura redevelopment, Mumbai Port Trust redevelopment and under-construction metro and monorail networks – are completed.

The proposed scheme, in line with the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission-approved Detailed Project Report, will ensure the reliability and availability of power in south Mumbai at competitive rates, the proposal said.

Environmentalist D Stalin from the nonprofit Vanshakti said it was deeply disappointing to see a Ramsar site being opened up piece by piece for various projects.

“Even the biodiverse mangrove forest in the Thane creek and abutting the Thane Creek Flamingo sanctuary have not been spared. Today it is Tata Power. Earlier, Adani Power had laid new power lines through the mangrove forest. A new bridge is also being proposed from Ghansoli to Vikhroli.”

Stalin accused government agencies of not keeping even a small patch of mangrove forest free of disturbance despite knowing such projects cause stress to the wildlife habitat. “We are sure that all institutions that are supposed to protect mangroves will support this destruction. This is another blow to the mangroves of Mumbai,” he said.

HT reached out to a Tata power spokesperson for comments but did not receive any response.