There has been a fresh alteration made to the CRZ or Coastal Regulation Zone in Mumbai. An amendment made to the CRZ now removes the mandatory tag for environmental clearances beforehand. This indicates that construction can commence without clearances. These can be garnered later in order to regularize any possible violations that may have occurred. This is only applicable for activities which are permissible however. There has been a fresh outcry from several environmentalists in the country however there are several aspects to this plan for development. The Backbay and Mahim zones in Mumbai were classified as bays by the MCZMA (Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority) in place of being called shorelines. As a result, this lowered the 500-meter CRZ in these locations to 100 meters. This paved the way for several luxury realty and commercial projects to be developed although this would have been legally impossible earlier. The re-classification exercise unlocked innumerable hectares of coastal land which proved to be a major boon for real estate developers. The Coastal Zone as per the notification of the year 2011, regulates the use of land and development based on categories like areas which are sensitive from an ecological standpoint, urbanized zones and areas which are already developed or underdeveloped. The Environment Ministry has reportedly cleared the coastal road project which will be unlocking 168 hectares from the Arabian Sea and 27 hectares in terms of mangrove land. This expressway will cover 35 kilometres and will be developed as a mix of reclaimed roads and sea-links along the city’s western shoreline. Restrictions were also relaxed on constructing monuments or memorials which were of national importance in CRZ IV zones. This paved the way for the building of the huge Chhatrapati Shivaji statue off the western coast of Mumbai. This will be accompanied by a dolphin pool, marine aquarium, helipad, amphitheater, restaurants and a museum. 2, 700 acres of salt marshes in Mumbai will also be used for affordable housing projects as per the plan. Luxury residential projects will also be built in several northwestern zones. 120 acres in Backbay will also be used for building a central park. The CRZ development plan aims at decongesting the city along with boosting tourism and ecology in Mumbai. However, there are two sides to every coin and there has been a huge outcry from some sections regarding the reclamation of land from the Sea, impact of housing and other activities on ecologically sensitive zones which are rich in flora and fauna and many other teething issues.
All you wanted to know about CRZ development in Mumbai
