Supreme Court greenlights Mumbai's coastal road despite 45,000 mangrove losses

The Supreme Court has declined to halt the felling of over 45,000 mangrove trees for Mumbai's Versova-Bhayandar coastal road project. The decision upholds a Bombay High Court order that permitted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to proceed with the controversial plan. Environmental group Vanashakti had challenged the move, arguing that the clearance process was flawed and that mangroves play a vital role in flood protection and carbon absorption.

The dispute began when Vanashakti petitioned the Supreme Court, claiming BMC had secured permission by repurposing an earlier afforestation effort. The NGO also pushed for a review of the tree-cutting figures, stressing that mangroves act as natural barriers against flooding and help reduce carbon dioxide levels in Mumbai.

Originally, the project's environmental clearance in 2018 listed just 3,268 mangroves for removal—a number later revised to over 45,000. The Court, however, refused to reassess the figures, stating that expert assessments had already determined the requirement. It added that judicial intervention was not warranted in technical evaluations of this nature.

During hearings, the Solicitor General defended the coastal road, arguing it would cut travel time, ease traffic on the western highway, and lower carbon emissions. The Supreme Court echoed these points, noting that the project would benefit the public while emphasising that sufficient safeguards—such as compensatory afforestation—were already in place.

The Bombay High Court had earlier approved the project but imposed strict conditions. BMC must now submit annual reports for a decade, detailing progress on mangrove restoration and compensatory planting. The Supreme Court reinforced this requirement, directing BMC to provide yearly updates to the High Court on afforestation efforts.

With the legal challenges exhausted, BMC can now move forward with the coastal road construction. The project will proceed under the condition of mandatory annual reports on mangrove restoration. The decision leaves environmental concerns unresolved but clears the way for what authorities describe as a key infrastructure upgrade for Mumbai.