Bombay High Court Upholds Protected Status of Kanjurmarg Forest

The Bombay High Court has reinstated 120 hectares in Kanjurmarg as protected forest, overturning a 2009 change for a dumping ground. The court rejected the state's claim of error in previous forest classification, citing improper de-notification processes as per the Forest Conservation Act.

The Bombay High Court has ruled in favor of reinstating 120 hectares of land in Mumbai's Kanjurmarg area as a 'protected forest'. This decision overturns a 2009 notification that had repurposed the land for the creation of a dumping ground.

The division bench, comprising Justices Somasekhar Sundaresan and G S Kulkarni, dismissed claims by the state and the local civic body that the original forest classification was a 'mistake'. They emphasized that de-notifying the land failed to comply with the Forest Conservation Act's required process.

The court's decision came in response to a 2013 petition by the public trust, Vanashakti, aiming to challenge the land's de-notification. Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had not considered that the land was already established as a protected forest when approving the project. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation now has three months to adhere to the court's order.

(With inputs from agencies.)