A year after a petition was filed before the western zone bench (Pune) of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) alleging massive violations and destruction of mangrove belts and wetlands for the construction of the Seven Eleven Club -an ultra-luxurious recreation facility in Mira Road, a high-level committee inspected the site on Friday.
The petition (original application number 76/2022) was filed by Advocate Irba Konapure on 31, July 2022 and registered on 23, August 2022. Notably, the starred club (situated at land parcels in the revenue village of Navghar) which is a family-owned entity of former BJP legislator Narendra Mehta is under the scanner of investigations for allegedly defying environmental rules.
Mehta maintains that the construction was legal
Mehta on the other hand has continued to maintain that the construction was legal as all sanctions were in place. The first hearing was conducted via video conferencing on 30, August 2022. While admitting the petition, the tribunal observed that in an apparent view of the complaints which were already made with respect to the illegal construction, some of the facilities had reportedly come up on reclaimed mangrove forests and water bodies.
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On 19, September, the NGT bench comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr. Vijay Kulkarni constituted a high-level committee to visit the place and submit a factual and action-taken report within four weeks. The committee comprised the principal secretary of the state environment department, the principal chief conservator of forest, and one representative each from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC). The NGT later roped in the Chennai-based National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM). After fresh directions issued by the NGT on 16, August, the committee members finally inspected the site on Friday in the presence of the petitioner.
Matter is scheduled to come for a hearing on November 21
While a series of FIRs under the relevant sections of the Environment Protection Act have been filed against the club, the state government and civic officials are also under the scanner for awarding permissions in disregard to mandated guidelines. The matter is scheduled to come for a hearing on November 21.
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