Supreme Court Allows Mangrove Removal For Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road, Cites Public Benefit
· Free Press Journal
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with Bombay High Court’s order allowing BMC to remove over 45,000 mangrove trees for the proposed Versova-Bhayandar coastal road, noting that sufficient safeguards have been imposed. A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul Pancholi observed that the High Court had laid down adequate conditions, including compensatory afforestation, and that the project would have a “significant and beneficial impact on the general public as it will decongest the western highway”, Live Law reports.
“There will be other significant advantages for the residents of Mumbai due to the construction of the road,” the Court said, declining to interfere with the order passed on December 12, 2025.
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Monitoring And Compliance Conditions
The High Court had granted permission subject to the condition that the BMC file annual status reports for 10 years detailing progress on mangrove restoration and compensatory afforestation. The Supreme Court directed the BMC to submit annual reports to the Bombay High Court on the extent of compensatory afforestation and restoration of mangroves.
NGO Vanashakti Challenges HC Order
The top court was hearing a plea filed by the NGO Vanashakti challenging the HC's order passed on December 12, 2025, regarding felling of mangroves for the Versova-Bhayandar coastal road. Senior Advocate Chander Uday Singh, appearing for the petitioner NGO, submitted that the BMC had obtained the High Court’s permission by repurposing a prior afforestation effort. He said satellite images from October 2025, two months before the High Court’s order, showed this.
Centre And BMC Defend Project
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing for the BMC, refuted the allegations, stating that the project would reduce travel time and traffic congestion and consequently lower carbon emissions.
Debate Over Mangrove Loss
Singh urged the Court to review the proposal to reduce the number of mangroves to be cut. “If the amount of cutting can be minimised, if we save at least 10,000, that is a huge benefit for the nation. Mangroves absorb CO2 more than 5 times that of a normal forest. We are not questioning project; saving mangroves won't hamper the project. As per them, only 9000 are in the direct path of the project,” he submitted.
Mumbai Coastal Road North Project: Supreme Court To Hear Plea Against BMC Over Mangrove Cutting For Versova-Bhayander Coastal RoadCourt Refuses To Reassess Expert Findings
Justice Bagchi pointed out that the petitioner would need to challenge the Environmental Clearance (EC) Stage 1 to question the number of trees required for diversion. He added that the High Court had not relied solely on the project proponent’s claims and had considered the EC.
“If some mangroves can be saved. They take at least 100 years to grow. Mumbai is saved from floods because of them,” Singh said. The Chief Justice, however, observed that experts had arrived at the figures and the Court could not second-guess them.