Mumabi: The Bombay High Court has permitted Adani Cementation Limited to cut 158 mangroves for its ₹172 crore jetty project along the Amba River in Raigad District. The division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre ruled that the company had secured necessary environmental and statutory clearances and agreed to compensatory afforestation.

The project will facilitate cement transportation via inland waterways, connecting Adani Cement’s proposed cement grinding and processing unit in Shahapur and Shahabaz villages. Covering a total area of 6 hectares, the jetty site includes 0.6497 hectares of mangroves requiring clearance.

Court's rationale & environmental considerations

In its ruling, the Bombay High Court emphasized that the project aimed to reduce road congestion and lower carbon emissions. The Court noted that Adani Cement had secured approvals from the Maharashtra Maritime Board, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), Forest Department, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC).

The Court cited the MCZMA’s assessment, which stated that transporting cement via sea is a more fuel-efficient and environmentally sustainable alternative to road and rail transport. The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by over 60%.

Environmental opposition & court's response

The Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) opposed the project, arguing that:

  • The jetty was not for public use but solely benefited Adani Cement’s operations.
  • There were discrepancies in the land classification within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).

The Court, however, rejected these objections, stating that only 1.2 hectares of the project area falls under CRZ IA, with mangroves covering just 0.6497 hectares. It observed that Adani Cement had undertaken to compensate for the ecological damage by paying the Net Present Value (NPV) for diverted forest land and conducting compensatory afforestation.

Concluding that the project complied with all statutory requirements, the Bombay High Court approved the mangrove clearance, subject to strict compliance with environmental conditions imposed by regulatory authorities.