NGT notice to Centre as petition seeks island status for Mumbai, flags ‘reckless construction’

MUMBAI: The National Green Tribunal, Pune bench, has admitted a plea seeking direction to Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority to frame a statutory integrated island management plan (IIMP). An IIMP takes care of vulnerability linked to rising sea levels and other environmental factors.
The application, filed by activist and advocate Y P Singh, sought quashing of the approved coastal zone management plans (CZMPs) for the area covered by Salsette island, saying they are inconsistent with the 2019 coastal regulation zone notification.Singh said Mumbai and parts of Thane district are parts of the larger Salsette island. However, he said, “Salsette was not reckoned as an island when the CZMP was prepared. It was erroneously reckoned as a mainland. This error needs to be rectified by withdrawal of the CZMPs and directions [need to] be issued for preparing the IIMP.”
Advocate Aditya Pratap Singh, appearing for Singh, said the IIMP was required to have been prepared for the entire city and all building constructions ought to have been governed by this plan. “However, no such statutory plan was prepared. As a result, building construction has been going on recklessly.”
The NGT said, “...The counsel has raised that Mumbai should not be treated as a mainland and should be treated as an island, and that IIMP needs to be prepared, rather than CZMP. This matter needs to be considered at length only after giving opportunity to the ministry of environment to file objections.”