The Supreme Court on Monday listed the petition challenging the extension of Mumbai Worli Sea Link to Versova for hearing on March 17.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud.
Appearing for the government of Maharashtra, the SG contended that when the Supreme Court had disposed of all the petitions against this project, then the same cannot be challenged in the Apex Court.
SG Mehta said they had moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT), since the issue was estoppel.
The CJI said that the top court of the country would hear the matter on Friday.
Earlier on August 22, NGT had rejected a petition filed by the Juhu Moragaon Machhimar Vividh Karyakari Sahkari Sanstha (JMMVKSS), which challenged the environmental clearance (EC) granted for the Bandra-Versova Sea Link.
The petitioner contended that no public hearing has been conducted for the project, under the Centre’s Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) assessment. This would set a precedent to revoke the EC and halt the project’s further implementation, said the plea by JMMVKSS, a fish workers society from Juhu.
The society had earlier moved the NGT in April, 2017 against green clearance to the project. However, the tribunal had disposed of the petition for want of merit. NGT had noted that any issue arising out of breach of such conditions could only be raised before the High Court.
The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) had issued EC to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) in February, 2017.
The petitioners had further raised objection against the manner in which the project was scrutinised.
The plea contended that the alignment in the project crossed the navigational channel of fisherfolk at four locations – Bandra, Chimbai Road, Khar Danda and Juhu Koliwada.
It would have an irreversible impact on the livelihood of the fishermen community, for which adequate mitigation measures have not been taken. Besides, increased turbidity and disturbance to the seabed during construction have not been addressed, it added.
The MSRDC has maintained that there would be no adverse impact as the road was being built on stilts, but the authority has simultaneously said that 1,585 mangrove trees need to be felled. Besides, the EIA study failed to check the impact on air quality and noise levels, increased risk of climate impacts like sea level rise, erosion of the coastline, and destruction of mangroves due to the project, said the plea.