Amendment in CRZ notification facilitates progress for Tirupati Temple construction
Amendment to CRZ notification in 2019 allowed for construction of Balaji temple in Navi Mumbai, overcoming challenges of coastal regulation zone.
Navi Mumbai: An amendment to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification in 2019 has played a crucial role in proceeding the construction of the Balaji temple of the Tirupati Temple in Navi Mumbai. The project faced challenges due to its location falling within the Coastal Regulation Zone, but the amendment allowed for smoother proceedings. The project received clearance in a meeting held in November after the new CRZ rules came into effect in September for Raigad, Thane, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg.
Principal Secretary of the state environment department, who also heads the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), explained that under the new rules, projects within 50 meters from creek areas require CRZ permission, compared to the earlier requirement of 100 meters. Consequently, the land allocated to the Tirupati Tirumala temple trust no longer falls under CRZ regulation, leading to the project’s clearance.
Earlier this year, environmentalists raised objections to the CRZ approval process for the ₹70 crore Tirupati Balaji temple complex in Ulwe, Navi Mumbai, urging authorities to consider relocation. CIDCO allotted 10 acres for the temple from land designated for L&T’s Mumbai Trans Harbour Link casting yard. The casting yard had been constructed on mangrove and wetland areas.
According to MCZMA minutes, out of the 40,000 sq m plot for the temple, 2,748.18 sq m fall under CRZ1A, 25,656.58 sq m in CRZ2, while 11,595 sq m is outside CRZ regulation. With the recent amendment, the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam can utilize the entire plot for the temple construction.
