In a significant decision on February 6, the Bombay High Court allowed Adani Electricity Mumbai Infra Limited to remove 209 mangroves near Vasai Creek as part of a project to construct a high voltage transmission line aimed at boosting electricity supply in Mumbai and its suburbs. The ruling was delivered by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre, emphasizing the project’s public importance due to the city’s increasing energy demands.
The court’s permission is crucial as it concerns a sensitive environmental area. The project includes an 80-kilometre transmission route with 30 km of overhead lines and 50 km of underground cables, impacting a small but significant portion of mangrove forests. Specifically, only one kilometre of the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) link, which stretches across Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar districts, passes through mangrove areas.
In their verdict, the judges highlighted the need to balance sustainable development with environmental preservation. “The HVDC project will supply additional power to Mumbai and its suburbs, meeting the ever-increasing energy demands of the city,” the court noted, acknowledging the project’s capacity to support potential growth and benefit electricity consumers in the region.
This decision follows a 2018 high court order that instituted a “total freeze” on mangrove destruction across the state, requiring specific court approval for any public project that proposes to cut mangroves. The court recognized that Adani has obtained all necessary statutory permissions for the project, which is slated for completion by March 2025 as per the transmission license.
