The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to pay the state forest department INR 74 crore for marine conservation. The civic administration has not entirely followed the terms of Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) clearance granted to its coastal road project.
The Union Environment Ministry's CRZ expert appraisal committee in 2017 had laid down a special condition wherein the civic body has to pay the Mangrove Foundation of Maharashtra 2% of the project cost to offset the Coastal Road's environmental impact.
Maharashtra forest department's mangrove cell officials have confirmed that the BMC is yet to pay the amount entirely. They further said that the civic body has not officially conveyed to the forest department their total cost of the project as of date.
Virendra Tiwari, the additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF), mangrove cell, has said that they have asked the BMC to deposit INR 254 crores. Based on newspaper reports, it is an additional two percent of the total project cost of about INR 12,700 crores. They don't know the total project cost because the BMC has never told them about the same. The civic administration has deposited INR 150 crores out of the INR 250 crores despite being mandatory for the entire amount to be paid, he added.
Also read: Worli: Fisherfolks Writes To CM, Seeking Design Change In Coastal Road Project
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