Navi Mumbai, 16, August, 2024 — Environmental activists have raised serious concerns over the construction of houses under the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Navi Mumbai, claiming that the projects have encroached upon sensitive mangrove buffer zones. The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), responsible for these developments, is accused of violating environmental conditions and disregarding the ecological importance of these areas.
The NatConnect Foundation, a prominent environmental group, has lodged a formal complaint with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the PMO Public Grievance website. The complaint highlights the alleged environmental violations associated with the PMAY projects, particularly in the Mansarovar and Kharghar areas, which are situated close to mangroves, mudflats, and inter-tidal wetlands.
According to the complaint, recent Google Earth imagery and ground-level photographs were submitted to substantiate the claims. "The compound wall of the Kharghar project, located on the northern side of the railway station, nearly touches the mangroves, with the distance between the sea plants and the project being as close as 8 to 25 meters," said B N Kumar, Director of NatConnect Foundation. Kumar emphasized that these distances are in clear violation of both central and state environmental clearances granted for the project.
The Prime Minister’s Office has reportedly referred the complaint to Arvind Kumar Agrawal, Director at the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), for further investigation. The response from the authorities is awaited, as environmentalists continue to urge strict enforcement of the laws to protect the fragile coastal ecosystems of Navi Mumbai.
The PMAY projects, aimed at providing affordable housing, have come under scrutiny in the past for similar environmental concerns. However, this latest complaint could prompt a renewed focus on the balance between development and environmental conservation in rapidly urbanizing regions like Navi Mumbai.
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