Pune: Mula-Mutha Riverfront Development Project gets environment clearance, work to speed up

National Green Tribunal dismisses Sarang Yadwadkar’s petition

Pune: A technical hurdle in the Mula-Mutha Riverfront Development (RFD) Project has been cleared. The Pune Municipal Corporation has got a revised environmental ‘no-objection certificate’ (NOC). Therefore, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has dismissed the petition filed by environment activist Sarang Yadwadkar.

The RFD has been embroiled in legal battles. The PMC got an environmental NOC for the project in 2019. Yadwadkar and others objected to the NOC. They filed a petition in the NGT against the NOC. Therefore, the NGT had asked the PMC to procure a revised NOC. Later, the civic body submitted a proposal to the Environment Department for a revised certificate. Thus, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) issued a revised NOC, which was presented before the NGT by Adv Rahul Garg on behalf of the PMC’s Legal Department.

Thus, the NGT disposed of the petition filed by Yadwadkar and others. This has cleared the way for the remaining work of the project.

The RFD is based on a similar plan implemented along the Sabarmati River in Gujarat. The Mula-Mutha River banks of 44 km length will be beautified. The plan was approved in 2018 at a cost of Rs 4,727 crore. It will be implemented in 11 stages. A pilot project of three stages has already been launched. Rs 700 crore needed for one stage will be spent from the PMC funds while the remaining cost will be shared on a PPP basis. The nature lovers approached the NGT over the NOC procured by the PMC in 2019.

In 2022, the Tribunal directed the civic body to take help from the SEIAA for necessary improvements in the project. The petitioner had sought a stay on the plan, which was rejected. The petitioner had also moved the Supreme Court (SC) against another decision by the NGT. In March 2023, the SC junked their plea. The petitioners again approached the NGT over hacking of trees for the project, which was also dismissed. They also sought cancellation of the project in the High Court in 2023, which was rejected in October 2023. These details were disclosed by Chief Legal Officer Adv Nisha Chavan.

PMC City Engineer Prashant Waghmare said, “The RFD will now pick up speed after procuring the NOC from the Environment Department. It slowed down due to the rainy season. A main stage has been completed during the rainy season. Moreover, the revised NOC has also been issued. This will help complete the undergoing work of three stages within the deadline. Floating of bids for the next stages will now be done.”