The Bombay High Court has permitted the Adani group to cut 209 mangroves near Vasai creek for construction of a high voltage transmission line that is proposed to increase supply of electricity to the city and its suburbs. The court noted that the project was of public importance.
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre, on February 6, said the project of construction of the electricity transmission line is critical for Mumbai as the existing capacity of the transmission corridor was not sufficient to carry any further power into the city.
The HC allowed the petition by Adani Electricity Mumbai Infra Ltd that sought permission to cut 209 mangroves for setting up a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) link between two of its transmission substations.
The project involves an 80 kilometer stretch of which 30 km would be overhead transmission lines and the remaining 50 km would be underground cable in the mangrove area. The HVDC lines would pass through Mumbai, Thane and Palghar district. As per the plea, only one kilometer of the HVDC passes through mangrove areas.
While permitting cutting of mangroves, the bench said a balance must be struck between the need for sustainable development and the requirement to maintain the environment. “The HVDC project would enable additional power to be supplied to Mumbai and suburbs and shall meet the ever increasing energy demands of the city,” the court said.
It added: “Considering the public importance of the proposed project, which shall benefit the electricity consumers in the city of Mumbai and its suburbs and which will lead to a potential growth, we deem it appropriate to confer the desired permission.”
The HC, in 2018, had ordered a “total freeze” on the destruction of mangroves across the state and permission has to be sought from HC each time an authority wishes to fell mangroves for any public project.
The court also noted that as per the transmission license, Adani was required to commission the project by March 2025 and has received all necessary statutory permissions to cut the mangroves.
