Mumbai, March 18: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday will hear the petition filed by environment NGO Vanashakti against Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) commencement of cutting mangrove forests for the Versova-Bhayander Link Road (Coastal Road North) project, the petitioner and director of the NGO Stalin D said.

The BMC claims that it has started the surface-level mangrove cutting under the ‘working permission’ from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), and in coordination with the state forest department.

Extent of mangrove impact and compensation plan

A total of 45,675 mangroves spread across 103.65 hectares of land will be impacted for the project, of which around 9,000 mangroves will be permanently axed. The remaining 36,675 mangroves will be replanted in the shadow area after the project is completed.

The BMC has also submitted in the high court that it will plant three times the green cover impacted as compensatory plantations on the land identified in Chandrapur and Dahanu. However, questions are raised on the survival rate.

NGO alleges violation of legal provisions

Stalin D said, “The commencement of cutting of mangrove forests for the Versova-Bhayander Coastal Road Project is in contravention to Section 2 of the Van Suraksha evam Samwardhan Adhiniyam, 1980 and the order of the Bombay High Court dated 12.12.2025 in Writ Petition No 3790 of 2025. I have approached the apex court and the case will be heard by the bench of Chief Justice of India.”

The respondents in the case are BMC, Union of India, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, State of Maharashtra, Additional Chief Conservator of Forest (Mangrove Cell) and Bombay Environmental Action Group.

Questions raised over compliance and reports

“The BMC is misguiding the Bombay High Court. In December 2025, while granting permission to cut 45,000 mangroves for the project, the court had asked the BMC to submit an action report of their 1,37,764 compensatory mangroves’ sapling plantation. However, it has yet not submitted that report while claiming that the court verbally told it to submit in January 2027. The civic body is not submitting the report because the survival rate is very poor, against its claim of 90%,” Stalin added.

Reminder notice issued to halt cutting

NGO Vanashakti on March 11 has also sent a reminder notice to the BMC and the state forest department asking them to stop the cutting of mangroves for the Coastal Road North project unless final (Stage II) clearance is obtained.

The first notice was served on February 3, and is still awaiting a response. It alleged that mangrove destruction is being allowed to proceed without Stage II forest clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

Mumbai: The situation has become tense in the Kurla area of ​​Mumbai after a Hindu Sakal Samaj volunteer was attacked along with BMC staff last night. The Kurla police have registered a case on the complaint of the victim. The police have also taken two people into custody in this case. The police said that at 7:41 pm last night, BMC was conducting an operation in Akash Gali, Kurla and this volunteer had complained about the illegal street vendor, after which he was attacked. At present, the situation is peaceful but tension remains.

A joint operation by BMC and police against street vendors is underway in Kurla. In such a situation, an attempt has also been made to give a Hindu-Muslim color to the clash between Hindu Sakal Samaj and street vendors, while the police have denied it. Today, BJP leader Kirat Soumya visited the victim Akshay at Bhabha Hospital and not only this, she has also questioned the action taken in this matter. She has expressed dissatisfaction with the police action and demanded stricter action.

Krit Soumya, while showing his anger, demanded action against Muslim Bangladeshi street vendors. Not only that, he said that due to the collusion and collusion of the police and BMC at Kurla station, action against the street vendors and street vendors is being delayed. This is the reason why the hooliganism of the hawkers has increased here. Just a month ago, street vendors attacked the youth together. He sustained head injuries. Along with this, BMC officers and officials in Bhandup and officials in Lokhandwala have also been attacked. He has made a serious allegation that such incidents have increased in Mumbai due to Muslim Bangladeshi street vendors, therefore strict action should be taken against Muslim Bangladeshi street vendors. He said that his campaign against Bangladeshis and street vendors will continue.

Kreet Soumya said that Akshay was going towards Kurla station with his sister when he suddenly got into trouble with the mob and was then tortured. After this incident in Kurla, the police have issued an alert and strict security arrangements have been made in Akash Gali. Senior Inspector Vikas Mehmkar of Kurla Police Station said that after the incident of beating in Akash Gali, the police have taken action and the situation is peaceful and security has been tightened. After this incident, the police have become alert while the situation is peaceful after the tension.

Mumbai: The attack on Muslim youths by two to one hundred armed assailants during Iftar in Pune’s Lab Lake is extremely worrying. Expressing dissatisfaction with the police action after this attack, MLA Abu Asim Azmi has strongly demanded in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that strict action be taken against the culprits and a case of attempt to murder be registered against them because these Muslim youths were attacked with weapons.

Despite this, the police have registered a case under minor sections, which is completely wrong. Today, the situation has become very bad. If someone offers prayers outside, they are attacked. In the past, Hindu women used to stand outside the mosque with their children to get the prayer person to pray for their children and they used to blow on the child’s head, but now there is an uproar when prayers are offered, and along with that, violence is also done.

He said that it is claimed that the functioning of the state will be carried out on the principles of Shivaji Maharaj, but today the situation is such that a knife case has been registered against Ram in the mouth. He said that this hooliganism should stop and I am here in the assembly and when it is time for prayer, where will I pray? Similarly, if someone is in the field, he prays there. He should be allowed to pray wherever he is. But today the situation has deteriorated to such an extent that objections are being raised against the worship of Muslims, which is completely wrong and strict action should be taken against it. And strict action should be taken against anyone who spoils the environment.