The Bombay High Court has instructed Adani Cementation Limited to provide a detailed explanation of how its proposed jetty project serves public interest, amidst concerns about environmental damage. The directive comes after the company sought permission to clear mangroves and undertake construction in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), raising significant ecological and regulatory questions.
The proposed project, located along the Amba River in Raigad district’s Shahbaj and Shahpur villages, involves constructing a berthing jetty, conveyor corridor, and access road. With a capacity to handle up to 5 million tonnes of cement, fly ash, slag, clinker, and coal annually, the project is poised to play a significant role in the company’s logistics and operations. However, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has stipulated several compliance measures since granting initial approval in December 2020.
Adani Cementation has highlighted the project’s potential benefits for local communities, emphasizing improved infrastructure, job creation, and contributions through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) initiatives. Despite these assurances, the plan has drawn criticism for proposing the removal of approximately 158 mangrove trees within a reserved forest area, triggering environmental concerns and calls for greater transparency.
Representing the Bombay Environmental Action Group, Advocate Aditya Mehta flagged discrepancies in the environmental impact data submitted by the company. While the MCZMA report indicated that 0.6497 hectares of CRZ-IA land would be affected, a study by the Institute of Remote Sensing at Anna University in Chennai estimated the impact at 1.26 hectares. Mehta argued that the destruction of mangroves must be justified with clear evidence of tangible public benefits, underscoring the ecological significance of these protected ecosystems. Mehta also questioned the company’s commitment to making the jetty available for free use by the Maharashtra Maritime Board. He pointed out that the petition merely referenced adherence to the board’s policies without specifying terms or guarantees, leaving the community benefits of the project unclear.
In response, senior advocate Girish Godbole, representing Adani Cementation, stated that the project had already received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in September 2024, subject to specific conditions. He assured the court that an affidavit detailing the public interest benefits and the terms of the jetty’s usage by the Maritime Board would be filed promptly. A division bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar has directed the company to submit the affidavit within two weeks. The court emphasized the need for a clear explanation of how the removal of mangroves aligns with public interest. The matter is scheduled for its next hearing on January 25, 2025.
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