Overview

• A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne dismissed two public interest litigations challenging development on land reclaimed for the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
• The petitions by activist Zoru Bathena and the Bandra Reclamation Area Volunteers Organisation sought to halt construction and restore the site as public green space.
• Citing the 2019 CRZ framework, the court said the parcel now lies beyond 50 meters from the Mahim Bay high tide line, so CRZ restrictions do not apply to its use.
• The court recorded that of 57.44 acres, 29.44 acres are set aside for roads, social amenities and a garden, 24 acres are for development, and 4 acres are reserved under DCPR 2034 for civic uses.
• Authorities including BMC and MOEFCC opposed the pleas, referencing an Anna University remote-sensing report that found the site fully outside CRZ, as MSRDC-sanctioned plans involve an Adani Properties residential project.