High Court unhappy over eco-impact assessment

The 300-m stretch of the retention wall built on the banks of the Mithi has cut off saline water supply to the mangroves in the area.

The 300-m stretch of the retention wall built on the banks of the Mithi has cut off saline water supply to the mangroves in the area.

HT Image

This is what a city businessman, Jagdish Gandhi, alleged in court.

“Earlier the mangroves were receiving their nutrient supply twice a day but the supply has been cut off due to the retention wall,” said Gandhi, who has filed a public interest litigation against the building of the wall.

On Thursday, the Bombay HC expressed dissatisfaction over ecological impact assessment by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) while constructing the 3,300-m retention wall on the banks of the Mithi.

Counsel for MMRDA Kirti Kokil said proper environmental assessment study was done before constructing the wall.

The judges found that the expert, Sharad Chafekar, had visited the area only twice, on days of the highest and the lowest tide. They said, “It is impossible to estimate long-term impact by mere ocular inspection.”

They asked Gandhi and the MMRDA to suggest, within two weeks, names of independent experts to conduct fresh impact assessment of the retention wall on mangroves.