Mumbai: The proposed 29.1-km Thane Integral Ring Metro project will require the felling of 303 trees, affect 3,214 trees and involve the removal of 5,380 mangroves, according to documents placed before the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), highlighting the environmental cost of one of the region’s biggest urban transport projects.The MCZMA, at its meeting on June 29, recommended the project for Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance to the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), subject to compliance with 20 conditions. As parts of the alignment fall within CRZ-I and CRZ-IV areas, the final decision on granting CRZ clearance will rest with the MoEFCC before the project can proceed with work in these stretches.Among the conditions imposed by the authority are obtaining prior permission from the Bombay High Court for mangrove cutting, undertaking three-times compensatory mangrove plantation, securing forest and tree clearances, implementing a wildlife management plan, establishing an Environment Cell for monitoring, and ensuring that no construction debris, wastewater or excavation muck is dumped in CRZ or creek areas.The metro alignment passes through CRZ-IA mangrove areas, the 50-metre mangrove buffer zone, CRZ-IB intertidal areas and CRZ-II, besides crossing creek waters connected to the Thane Creek estuarine system. Of the project’s total length, 3.65 km falls within the CRZ, covering around 95,036 sq metres.The environmental assessment notes that the corridor also traverses ecologically sensitive areas adjoining the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and protected forest land. A biodiversity survey recorded 43 mammalian species, including five classified as near threatened and two as vulnerable under the IUCN Red List. Authorities have directed the project proponent to obtain the necessary forest clearances and implement the wildlife management plan during construction.The project is expected to generate nearly 5.25 lakh cubic metres of excavation muck, raising concerns over potential impacts on mangroves, creek hydrology and aquatic ecosystems if not scientifically disposed of. Expert members warned that indiscriminate dumping could increase sedimentation, damage mangrove root systems and degrade water quality. The metro corporation informed the authority that the muck would be disposed of scientifically outside CRZ areas after obtaining the necessary permissions.The report also flags the risk of pollution from construction activities near Vasai Creek and Thane Creek, including silt, cement and chemical runoff. It recommends silt curtains, sediment traps, geotextile covers, controlled waste disposal and strict dust and noise mitigation measures during construction.While acknowledging the environmental impact, the authority concluded that the project would improve regional connectivity and encourage a shift from road transport to public transit, helping reduce vehicular emissions over the long term. It nevertheless recommended the proposal for CRZ clearance subject to compliance with the prescribed environmental safeguards.
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👤 avianscape.enterprises@gmail.com | 📅 Updated: July 1, 2026
Mumbai: The proposed 29.1-km Thane Integral Ring Metro project will require the felling of 303 trees, affect 3,214 trees and involve the removal of 5,380 mangroves, according to documents placed before the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), highlighting the environmental cost of one of the region’s biggest urban transport projects.The MCZMA, at its meeting on June 29, recommended the project for Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance to the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), subject to compliance with 20 conditions. As parts of the alignment fall within CRZ-I and CRZ-IV areas, the final decision on granting CRZ clearance will rest with the MoEFCC before the project can proceed with work in these stretches.Among the conditions imposed by the authority are obtaining prior permission from the Bombay High Court for mangrove cutting, undertaking three-times compensatory mangrove plantation, securing forest and tree clearances, implementing a wildlife management plan, establishing an Environment Cell for monitoring, and ensuring that no construction debris, wastewater or excavation muck is dumped in CRZ or creek areas.The metro alignment passes through CRZ-IA mangrove areas, the 50-metre mangrove buffer zone, CRZ-IB intertidal areas and CRZ-II, besides crossing creek waters connected to the Thane Creek estuarine system. Of the project’s total length, 3.65 km falls within the CRZ, covering around 95,036 sq metres.The environmental assessment notes that the corridor also traverses ecologically sensitive areas adjoining the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and protected forest land. A biodiversity survey recorded 43 mammalian species, including five classified as near threatened and two as vulnerable under the IUCN Red List. Authorities have directed the project proponent to obtain the necessary forest clearances and implement the wildlife management plan during construction.The project is expected to generate nearly 5.25 lakh cubic metres of excavation muck, raising concerns over potential impacts on mangroves, creek hydrology and aquatic ecosystems if not scientifically disposed of. Expert members warned that indiscriminate dumping could increase sedimentation, damage mangrove root systems and degrade water quality. The metro corporation informed the authority that the muck would be disposed of scientifically outside CRZ areas after obtaining the necessary permissions.The report also flags the risk of pollution from construction activities near Vasai Creek and Thane Creek, including silt, cement and chemical runoff. It recommends silt curtains, sediment traps, geotextile covers, controlled waste disposal and strict dust and noise mitigation measures during construction.While acknowledging the environmental impact, the authority concluded that the project would improve regional connectivity and encourage a shift from road transport to public transit, helping reduce vehicular emissions over the long term. It nevertheless recommended the proposal for CRZ clearance subject to compliance with the prescribed environmental safeguards.
