State coastal authority trims luxe Nerul project to seven towers over CRZ issues

The high-end residential project is located along the environmentally sensitive Palm Beach Road stretch adjoining mangroves, mudflats and coastal areas near TS Chanakya and the Panvel creek, a zone that has witnessed repeated disputes over CRZ-linked construction activity

NAVI MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has effectively reduced the controversial ‘9 PBR Navi Mumbai’ luxury housing project by Adani Realty and Mistry Construction in Sector 60, Nerul, along Palm Beach Road from nine towers to seven after finding that two towers and portions of the clubhouse partially fall within Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) limits under the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), 2019.

Navi Mumbai, India - May 21, 2026:Nerul 9PBR Adani project at Seawoods in Navi Mumbai, India, on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The authority, however, held that Towers 2 to 8 fall outside the CRZ area and therefore outside the ambit of the CRZ Notification, 2019, after the project proponent submitted a revised layout for the non-CRZ portions of the site.

The high-end residential project is located along the environmentally sensitive Palm Beach Road stretch adjoining mangroves, mudflats and coastal areas near TS Chanakya and the Panvel creek, a zone that has witnessed repeated disputes over CRZ-linked construction activity.

According to the minutes of the 197th MCZMA meeting held on May 11, 2026, the original proposal comprised nine towers and one clubhouse in Pocket D and E. However, Tower 1 and 9, along with portions of the clubhouse, were found to be partly situated within CRZ-II areas, while Towers 2 to 8 were located in non-CRZ areas under the approved CZMP, 2019.

The revised proposal considered by the MCZMA pertained only to Towers 2 to 8 in non-CRZ portions of the site. Earlier, during its 195th meeting in March, the authority had observed that construction activity would have to remain restricted to non-CRZ portions.

Environmental groups have alleged that portions of the project overlap with protected tidal zones, wetlands and ecologically sensitive coastal stretches adjoining the Panvel creek. The project had earlier triggered protests over alleged tree felling, while activists accused the developer of attempting to construct residential towers on land originally earmarked as part of an integrated golf course project.

The minutes reveal that the project underwent multiple rounds of regulatory scrutiny over the past several years. MCZMA had earlier granted CRZ recommendations for the larger golf course and country club project in 2018 under the CRZ Notification, 1991, under which Pocket D and E were treated as outside the CRZ zone.

Separately, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) granted environmental clearance for the nine-tower residential and commercial development on December 4, 2019, while the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) granted Consent to Establish in March 2020.

However, portions of the project plot boundary were later identified as falling within CRZ areas under the approved CZMPs of 2011 and 2019, approved in February 2019 and August 2023 respectively.

In objections submitted before the MCZMA meeting, environmental activist and Save Navi Mumbai Environment co-founder Sunil Agarwal alleged that the project had already undergone “substantial construction”, making the revised proposal a case of impermissible “post-facto approval”.

“The EC dated December 4, 2019, was granted without prior CRZ clearance though the site falls within CRZ as per CZMP 2011,” Agarwal alleged.

He also objected to reliance on the CZMP approved in August 2023, arguing that later coastal maps could not retrospectively validate earlier construction activity.

When contacted regarding the allegations and objections raised by activists, a spokesperson for Mistry Construction said the company had obtained all necessary approvals and complied with applicable regulations, adding that the proposal had also been validated by the authorities.

“In fact, the construction and the project is in full compliance with all legal provisions and is also RERA registered,” the spokesperson said.