Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has granted permission to the Adani Group to cut 209 mangroves for the construction of a high-voltage transmission line aimed at boosting electricity supply in Mumbai and its suburbs. The court emphasized that the project is of public importance.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre issued the order on February 6, stating that Mumbai's existing transmission corridor lacks the capacity to support additional power supply.

The court approved a petition by Adani Electricity Mumbai Infra Limited, which sought permission to cut mangroves near Vasai Creek to establish a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) link between two transmission substations.

The 80-kilometer project includes 30 km of overhead transmission lines and 50 km of underground cables, passing through Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar districts. The company informed the court that only 1 km of the HVDC line crosses mangrove areas.

"The HVDC project would enable additional power to be supplied to Mumbai and suburbs and shall meet the ever-increasing energy demands of the city," the court said.

"Considering the public importance of the proposed project, which shall benefit the electricity consumers in the city of Mumbai and its suburbs and which will lead to potential growth, we deem it appropriate to confer the desired permission," the HC said.

As per a 2018 order of the high court, there exists a "total freeze" on the destruction of mangroves across the state, and permission has to be sought from the HC each time an authority wishes to fell mangroves for any public project.

The court noted that as per the transmission license, Adani was required to commission the project by March 2025 and has received all necessary statutory permissions to cut the mangroves.