Petitioners seeking a stay on the upcoming Rs 1,400-crore coastal road project on Monday informed the Bombay High Court that over the weekend, they have witnessed unprecedented pace of reclamation, contrary to BMC’s assurance made before court that it will not carry out further reclamation until April 23. Advertising Senior counsel Gayatri Singh and lawyer Kranti L C sought an urgent hearing on Monday. A bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice N M Jamdar said it will hear them on Tuesday. A petition was filed by Shweta Wagh, an architect, and eight others stating that the ongoing reclamation is not only illegal but will also irreversibly alter the coastal morphology, biodiversity and traditional ecological practices. It further states that the coastal road and ongoing reclamation are in patent breach of the law on environment clearances, traditional rights and jurisdiction. Last Thursday, Chief Justice Nandrajog asked the BMC not to carry out new reclamation for the coastal road until further orders. The petitioners submitted an affidavit through Wagh, stating that after the assurances were made in the court by the BMC, they visited the sites and witnessed that “contractors categorically denied having received any instructions from the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai of any nature pertaining to the ongoing works”.

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