Mumbai Updates: BMC Supporting Adani's Bandra Reclamation Project, Claiming Area lies Beyond CRZ; Petitioner Accuses MSRDC of Concealing Information
In a contentious turn of events, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claims that the Adani construction site at the Bandra Reclamation Project is officially outside the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), and thus exempt from CRZ restrictions [1][2]. This claim is based on a report from the Institute of Remote Sensing at Anna University, Chennai, submitted by the project architect, which states that the plot lies fully outside the CRZ as per the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP).
However, this position is challenged by activists and public interest litigants, notably Zoru Bathena and the Bandra Reclamation Area Volunteers Organisation (BRAVO). They contest BMC's approval and allege that the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has suppressed facts relating to CRZ violations. They argue the project should not proceed and that the reclaimed land should remain a green space [1][2].
The Bombay High Court has postponed the case to allow time for further submissions and a rejoinder to BMC’s affidavit affirming the site’s status outside CRZ. In separate affidavits filed earlier in February, the Adani Group and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) asserted that the proposed development on a plot of land at Bandra Reclamation is outside the CRZ and hence free for development [1].
The dispute began when MSRDC issued a tender in January 2024 for the development of a 57-acre parcel, of which 29 acres are reserved for social amenities, roads, and gardens, while 28 acres are available for development. Adani, as the highest bidder, received the contract for the development of the 28-acre parcel in March 2024 [2]. The Construction and Development Agreement (C&DA) between MSRDC and Adani Properties Pvt Ltd and Cavill Infraspace Pvt Ltd was approved by MSRDC's Board on September 30, 2024, and executed on October 9, 2024 [2].
Zoru Bathena, in an additional affidavit, alleged that MSRDC suppressed crucial facts, further fuelling the controversy [1]. The petition challenges the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation's (MSRDC) plan to allow private development on reclaimed land. The Environmental Clearance (EC) granted to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) on April 8, 2025, specifically required CRZ clearance [1].
Bathena annexed MSRDC's own six-monthly monitoring reports to the environment ministry, which were filed under CRZ-related conditions for the Bandra-Worli Sea Link project, to demonstrate that the land continues to fall under the CRZ regulations [1]. The BMC relied on these reports, prepared by the Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University, Chennai, to support their claim that the project site, Sub-Plot A and Sub-plot B, is outside the CRZ line [1].
The report concluded that the site is "fully outside CRZ as per approved CZMP." However, the matter remains in contention, with the BMC's claims being questioned and the case set for further hearing later this month.
References: [1] https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/infrastructure/adani-group-s-bandra-reclamation-project-faces-legal-hurdles-as-activists-allege-crz-norms-violations/2498936/ [2] https://www.livemint.com/news/india/adanis-bandra-reclamation-project-faces-legal-hurdles-as-activists-allege-crz-norms-violations-11646525147594.html
Activists and public interest litigants, such as Zoru Bathena and the Bandra Reclamation Area Volunteers Organisation (BRAVO), are actively investing in contesting the finance and development aspects of the Adani Group's real-estate project at the Bandra Reclamation, arguing that the project should not proceed due to potential violations of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The dispute over the project's compliance with CRZ regulations is ongoing and scheduled for further hearing.
In their efforts to challenge the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation's (MSRDC) plan for private real-estate development on reclaimed land, Bathena and other activists have annexed monitoring reports prepared by the Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University, Chennai, to demonstrate that the land continues to fall under CRZ regulations, contradicting the BMC's claims that the project site is outside the CRZ line as per approved Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP).
