Mumbai Forest Land get SC nod

Mumbai Forest Land get SC nod

Mumbai: The long disputed issue of construction on forest land in Mumbai finally seems near to a resolution after a recent Supreme Court ruling. outcome might not bode well for the already fragile environment of the city. As reported by IBN7.

Couple of years after silence descended inside illegal construction sites in Mumbai, a Supreme Court order could now restart the job.

The projects declared illegal in 2006, as they were situated on forest land.

But the apex court now says work can go on if the Environment Ministry clears it.

Developers are a happy lot however the court order has come like a blow to green activists like Debi Goenka.

Goenka was one of several original petitioners who fought to conserve the city's dwindling forest cover.

There are approximately 150 such projects being constructed on 200 acres of forest land.

In 2001, Goenka's Bombay Environment Action group approached the Bombay High Court saying the state government wasn't acting against developers building illegally on forest land.

After five long years, in 2006, the BMC ordered the constructions stopped.

"These buildings are essentially illegal, they've got no permits. They go against the original SC ruling," says Goenka.

It's not only} the environmentalists anxious. Also keeping their fingers crossed are people like Saji Mathews whose dream homes were to be built on the plots.

"We just learnt about this through the papers. The builders haven't told us anything," says Mathews, who booked a flat here five years ago.

Now Matthews is hoping he can take possession of his new home soon.