Mumbai: Probe into ‘CRZ violations’ in seawall around Aksa Beach

The wall that has been constructed right in between the beach also has a promenade alongside it. File pic

In a fresh development regarding the Aksa Beach seawall case, the state Environment Director has called upon the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and the suburban district collector to investigate allegations of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations in the construction, made by environmental groups.

This action comes in response to a complaint by NatConnect Foundation to the chief minister, highlighting the violation of environmental regulations in the construction of the "monstrous seawall" at Aksa Beach and Madh carried out by the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB).

The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has referred the matter to the Environment Department, specifically the Principal Secretary for Environment & Climate Change, for further action.

Construction work being carried out along the sea wall. File pic

B N Kumar, director of NatConnect, utilised the Right to Information (RTI) Act to request information from the Environment Department and subsequently submitted his first appeal to inquire about the actions taken based on the chief minister's email.

Kumar said that during a recent hearing, "The Environment Director, Abhay Pimparkar, assured us that he is writing a demi-official letter to the MCGM and the suburban district collector to check the allegations of CRZ violations and respond within a week."

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Notably, Pimparkar also serves as the member secretary of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), which had approved MMB's plan for Aksa Beach beautification, with the condition that no construction occurs in the CRZ1 area.

Kumar and fellow activist Zoru Bathena have alleged that MMB disregarded this approval by constructing the seawall in the centre of the beach. They have taken their concerns to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to address these purported violations.

Furthermore, the environmentalists highlighted that the MCZMA itself has expressed concerns, warning that solid constructions on the beach might disrupt the flow of intertidal water and potentially lead to downstream flooding.

During the recent hearing at the NGT bench earlier this week, the counsel for the Environment Department requested four weeks to provide a response to the
activists' application.

It is worth noting that the seawall's construction contradicts an NGT ruling dated April 11, 2022, which called for a halt to seawall construction at beaches nationwide pending the preparation and updating of shore management plans by the states and union territories, as argued by the activists.

In a related case, the Supreme Court has recently issued a stay order on the construction of a seawall at Versova Beach by the Public Works Department (PWD).

4 weeks
Time Environment Deptment has requested to reply