Bombay HC Questions Replantation Plans as 847 Mangroves Face Felling for Bullet Train Project
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday expressed concerns over the replantation of mangroves as the Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Co. Ltd (MSETCL) sought permission to fell 847 mangrove trees for a transmission line required for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice Gautam A Ankhad orally remarked that authorities often fail to ensure the survival of replanted trees. “The problem is that you all do not replant. The plants which you then plant have started dying. You only create a picture that you have planted something,” the court observed.
The petitioner, MSETCL (also referred to as MahaTransco), sought clearance to divert 3.35 hectares of forest land, including 1.9656 hectares of mangrove forest, in Dahanu Taluka of Palghar district. The transmission line, a 132 KV line from Dahanu to Ambesarai, is part of the infrastructure for the high-speed rail corridor.
Advocate Amogh Singh, representing the petitioner, assured the court that replantation would be carried out in compliance with orders. He stressed the urgency, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the bullet train project in October, requiring the transmission line to be laid beforehand.
The court was informed that MSETCL had conducted a survey of three alternative alignments to minimise environmental impact. The final alignment was chosen to avoid dense forest, water bodies, habitations, and ecologically sensitive areas. The plea claimed the forest land sought was the “barest minimum required for the project.”
In 2022, the Bombay High Court had permitted the felling of 21,997 mangrove trees for the same bullet train project, subject to conditions. The current matter stems from a 2018 ruling that imposed a freeze on mangrove destruction in Maharashtra without the court’s approval.
The bench has posted the next hearing for July 14, noting that the petitioner must provide a detailed plan for replantation and ensure compliance.
