The Bombay High Court on September 17, 2018, has held that the destruction of mangroves offends citizens’ Fundamental Rights under
Article 21 of the Constitution of India and that the state is duty-bound to protect and preserve mangroves as per
Article 21, 47 48A and 51A(g) of the Constitution of India.
The matter came up before a Division Bench comprising of
Justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla in a plea filed by Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG) regarding the destruction of mangroves in Maharashtra. In the petition, the petitioners highlighting the importance of mangroves in the ecosystem said that the mangroves play an important role in protecting seashores from erosion, high winds and cyclone as mangroves are strategically located between the land and sea and therefore, their importance is not merely in their forest value.
The Bench has directed the state to constitute a committee headed by a divisional commissioner within one month. The committee shall be responsible for conservation of mangroves, and for the restoration of reclaimed mangrove area. The Bench said that, “there shall be a total freeze on the destruction and cutting of mangroves in the entire State. Dumping of rubble/garbage/solid waste on the mangrove areas shall be stopped forthwith. Regardless of ownership of the land having mangroves and the area of the land, all constructions taking place within 50 metres on all sides of all mangroves area shall be forthwith stopped. That area shall be kept free of construction except construction of compound wall/fencing for its protection.” Further, the Bench said that all mangrove land will fall in the Coastal Region Zone (CRZ) I as per notification of 1991 and 2001 and that no development permission shall be granted by any authority of the government in an area under mangroves. The Bench also directed the State to carry out satellite mapping of mangroves cover and install CCTV cameras and barricades to keep a check on it. The government shall also create a grievance redressal mechanism for citizens to report destruction/removal of mangroves, the Bench said.
Remdesivir Can’t Be Denied to Covid-19 Patients Admitted in Non-Covid Hospitals: Bombay HC [READ ORDER]
Judiciary
Apr 20, 2021
Athira Nair
(
Editor: Ekta Joshi
)
5 Shares
The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay HC passed relevant directions to handle the city’s crumbling healthcare system, which has resulted to the humongous rise in covid-19 cases, specifically on the non-availability of important anti-viral drugs such as Tocilizumab and Remdesivir, Oxygen supply and Hospital beds.Based on the court’s suggestion, the state has decided to set up an oxygen plant in the city.Rendesivir and TocilizumabAdvocate SP Bhandarkar and other advocates pointed out important...
Plea in Bombay High Court Seeks Direction to Use Lockdown Fines to Provide Sanitizer Dispensers inside Buses and at Railways Stations
Judiciary
Apr 16, 2021
Shreyas Nair
(
Editor: Ekta Joshi
)
4 Shares
A local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, requesting that the BMC and the state have sanitiser dispensing machines in public places such as train stations, bus stops, and slums from the funds raised for breaking lockdown rules.Other cities' sanitation efforts are also included in the petition. Bengaluru, Chennai, Guwahati, Coimbatore, and Raipur have begun using drones to spray disinfectants on polluted surfaces, while...
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