CRZ: Only three temporary studios sanctioned in Madh-Marve

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has sanctioned only three temporary film studios in the Madh-Marve area in the last two years, according to publicly available documents

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has sanctioned only three temporary film studios in the Madh-Marve area in the last two years, according to publicly available documents.

CRZ: Only three temporary studios sanctioned in Madh-Marve

This is contrary to claims made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Kirit Somaiya that 49 illegal film studios have mushroomed in the Madh-Marve area between 2020-21, in violation of the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) rules and with the complicity of the state coastal zone regulator.

These sanctioned projects include temporary structures at three plots, occupying city survey (CTS) numbers 1105, 1061, 1432, 1495, 1496, 1497, 1498 in Erangal Village, Madh Marve Road, Malad West.

Permissions were granted to three entities, namely Bhatia Bollywood Studios, Expressions Studios and Balaji Tirupati Cinemas, during the MCZMA’s 152nd meeting on February 16, 2021.

All these plots fall under the CRZ-II category as per the Mumbai CZMP, which refers to developed areas up to the shoreline that fall within municipal limits.

On September 13, when two of these structures were being demolished by the BMC, Somaiya tweeted, “By the grace of ministers Aaditya Thackeray and Aslam Sheikh, 49 unauthorised studios worth ₹1,000 crore have been built. We will break all these symbols of corruption.”

An official with the state environment department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “These proposals were placed before the MCZMA through the BMC themselves. CRZ clearance was granted only for temporary structures for six months, which is within the ambit of the law. Temporary work is permitted in CRZ-II areas. No permanent land use change was granted, and the MCZMA had clearly stated that no work is allowed to take place in CRZ-I areas. It is possible that the agencies violated this clause. They also did not apply to renew permissions after the six months had expired, but that cannot imply connivance with the MCZMA.”

Asked why the MCZMA did not proactively check whether these user agencies were complying with their terms, the official said, “The MCZMA is a small body. It does not have the manpower to be constantly checking things on the ground. It is also the BMC’s job to monitor land-use violations and bring them to the notice of the MCZMA. The corporation has not yet raised any such complaint before the regulator. There may be violators who never approached the MCZMA for permission.”

When contacted for a comment on Wednesday, Somaiya was struck by his allegations. “The MCZMA should never have granted the permissions in the first place. This was done so illegally in favour of a few parties, and has given rise to 40-50 such violators in the region who are building even in CRZ-1 areas and no development zone patches,” he said, though without providing the names of the violating user agencies.

Responding to Somaiya’s complaints, which had first been raised in July, Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal last week ordered an inquiry into the legality of these 49 studios in Madh, Marve, Bhati, Erangal, and Malad that allegedly came up between 2021 and 2022.

Deputy municipal commissioner Harshad Kale, who is leading the probe into these violations, declined to comment saying it would be inappropriate to do so until a final report is submitted to the municipal commissioner.

Kiran Dighavkar, who was recently appointed as the ward officer for P/N Ward, said, “It is unclear where this estimation of 49 studios has come from. In our stock-taking, we have found a total of four parties who have erected studios in CRZ areas. What seems to be the case, prima facie, is that they continued to operate beyond the stipulated six-month period, but the parties did not approach the MCZMA to renew their CRZ clearance. The specific violations will come out in the probe. Two of these structures were demolished on Tuesday.”