Thane residents seek relocation of RMC plant set up for twin-tunnel project

The RMC plant, casting yard and a labour camp were set up to facilitate construction of the 11.8-km Borivali-Thane twin tunnel project

MUMBAI: Residents of Haware Citi, a township in Thane’s Kasarvadavali, have approached the Bombay high court seeking relocation of a ready-mix concrete plant (RMC) in their vicinity, claiming it was built in the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of Sanjay Gandhi National Park without obtaining mandatory permissions. Once operational, the plant will cause significant air and noise pollution, posing severe health risks to both humans and wildlife, said the petition filed through advocate Ronita Bhattacharya.

Thane residents seek relocation of RMC plant set up for twin-tunnel project

The RMC plant, casting yard and a labour camp were set up to facilitate construction of the 11.8-km Borivali-Thane twin tunnel project.

“The plant will directly impact 8,000 people in Haware Citi, including a major international school located inside the township. Another 4,000 people who live in buildings adjacent to the township, a major school and a college will also be impacted,” said Rohit Joshi, president of Yeoor Environmental Society, who helped the residents file the petition.

As per revised guidelines of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), RMC plants were moved from the green to the orange category, indicating they cause more pollution than imagined earlier, the petition stated. The MPCB has not granted consent for the RMC plant in Kasarvadavali under the new classification, it added.

The Borivali-Thane twin tunnel project was originally taken up by the Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation in 2015 but subsequently transferred to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited is the contractor for the project, which was inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi in July 2024. The forest department recently granted 35.56 hectares of forest land to MMRDA for the project.