Bombay High Court permits BMC to cut over 1,200 mangroves for Versova-Madh Island bridge

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The bridge is expected to reduce the distance of travel between Versova and Madh Island from 22 km to 1.5 km. File photo | Photo Credit: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury

The Bombay High Court has permitted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to cut 1,237 mangroves to build a bridge that connects Versova and Madh Island in the western suburbs of Mumbai.

The bridge is expected to reduce the distance of travel between Versova and Madh Island from 22 km to 1.5 km.

The court on September 17, 2026, set conditions including the plantation of 39,000 mangroves over 9 hectares, monitoring for 10 years, deposit of ₹1.42 crore, and an undertaking. The order came from a Bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.

The Bench held that the project is for infrastructure and for residents, stating that is not for a particular company.

The Bench also held that the project improves connectivity between Madh Island and suburbs in Mumbai, giving relief from delays due to congestion on roads in the capital city. It added that the distance between Versova and Madh Island will reduce from 22 km to 1.5 km after completion of the project.

The BMC filed a plea as the proponent of the project., stating that it had obtained clearance for the bridge over Malad creek. The BMC had first sought permission to cut 560 mangroves and later raised the count to 1,237 following a re-assessment.

In its order, the Bench recorded that the BMC will plant 39,000 mangroves over 9 hectares of land with forest of mangroves. It said the BMC will plant these at the site and at places in the area. Further, the BMC will monitor the plantation for 10 years.

The Bench said the BMC will deposit ₹1.42 crore, accepting the undertaking. It said the corporation will face consequences in law if it breaches the said undertaking.

Permitting the construction of the bridge, the Bench said the court's intervention on mangroves with safeguards and measures for restoration would serve the interest of residents. It added that the petition was entertained on the basis of the commitments and the undertaking from the BMC.

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