Mangroves to be felled for crucial Mumbai bridge

The Bombay High Court has authorized the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to proceed with felling 1,237 mangroves. This decision is in support of constructing a bridge over Malad Creek, which aims to create direct road connectivity between Versova and Madh Island. The court recognized the project as "necessary and expedient for public good and in public interest." This two-kilometer-long, four-lane cable-stayed bridge is anticipated to reduce the road distance by over 20 km, shortening travel from over an hour to a mere 8-10 minutes.

The court's approval was contingent on multiple factors, including the project's public utility, environmental assessments, necessary permissions from statutory authorities, and the civic body's commitment to restoration and compensatory measures. These measures include depositing ₹1.42 crore for planting 39,000 mangroves across nine hectares. The BMC had to seek court permission due to a prior 2018 order restricting non-forest activities in mangrove areas. The final alignment affects approximately 2.5 hectares of mangrove forest, with 0.5 hectares slated for permanent loss and the remainder for restoration post-construction.