Environmentalists Protest BMC’s Approval for 25-Storey Tower on Forest Land Near Vihar Lake

 Vihar Lake, Paspoli Village,Mumbai:  Mumbai's environmentalists are raising alarms over the clearing of two hectares of forest land near Vihar Lake for the construction of a 25-storey building, complete with three basements. The environmental community has called the development a blatant violation of the Forest Conservation Act and Supreme Court orders aimed at protecting forested areas.

Activists like Stalin D and Zoru Bhathena have filed complaints against the Forest Conservator and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for granting permissions to develop on forested plots, despite the land clearly falling within the definition of "forest" under Indian law.

The land, located at CTS No 28 of Paspoli village, is adjacent to Aarey, Mithi River, and Vihar Lake, areas already dealing with significant environmental concerns. The activists were shocked to spot construction cranes clearing the forest cover in these ecologically sensitive zones. "It is a blatant violation of court orders, and the developer’s entry into this protected land is only possible due to delays in officially notifying forested areas," said Stalin.

However, BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani defended the permissions, stating that the area is not under a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) or a Non-Developmental Zone. While acknowledging some discrepancies in the number of trees to be cut, Gagrani emphasized that the permissions were granted within the rulebooks.

The environmentalists, however, are not convinced and are calling for immediate action to revoke the development permissions. They warn that if the authorities fail to protect the land, they will seek intervention from the Supreme Court to prevent further deforestation in the region.