Ulwe Balaji temple to be ‘limited’ only to non-CRZ area, TTD commits on oath at NGT

Navi Mumbai: The Balaji temple being built on Ulwe coast in Navi Mumbai will be limited to non-Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust has committed at the National Green Tribunal NGT).

Responding to apprehensions expressed by an environmental platform, TTD has stated on oath at the NGT’s Western Zonal Bench in Pune that it will seek prior permission for any activity on CRZ.

NatConnect Foundation Director B N Kumar had filed an application at the NGT alleging CRZ violations in the allotment of 40,000 sq mtr plot to the TTD by CIDCO in April 2022.

The Institute of Remote Sensing (IRS) at Anna University – Chennai, commissioned by the TTD, also reported that as per the Coastal Zone Management Plan-2011 out of the 40,000 sq mtr (roughly 10 acres) temple plot, 2,748.18 sq mtr falls under CRZ-1A, 25,656.58 sq mtr in CRZ2 while 11,595 sq mtr is outside CRZ.

In a press statement, NatConnect said but the CRZ by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) nod came with a catch as TTD was allowed a leeway to use the CRZ2 portion, subject to the finalisation of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP)-2019 for Raigad district.

The new CZMP-2019 led to a drastic change in the topography which allowed an increased buildable area for the temple. Accordingly, the CRZ IA (50 m mangrove buffer zone) is 2748.18 Sqm, CRZ II area is 7729.28 Sqm and land area falling Non CRZ area is 29,523.00 Sqm. Thus, the IRS concluded that “proposed main temple, constructions, drain facilities and road completely outside CRZ as per approved CRZ Notification, 2019.”

The MCZMA, while giving its final nod on November 20, 2023, allowed TTD to build a compound wall for fencing and landscaping garden in 50 m mangrove buffer zone which Kumar’s counsel Ronita Bhattacharya vehemently opposed during the NGT hearing.

Kumar has also put on record that the temple plot falls in the flood-prone zone as the CIDCO record itself.

After lengthy arguments, TTD made a commitment that it would not do any construction whatsoever in CRZ and that it would seek prior permission whenever it intends to use this area.

Kumar’s counsel submitted that they accepted this undertaking and that there was absolutely no objection to TTD limiting the construction to non-CRZ.

Kumar explained in his application that he is not personally against the temple project as such, but it could be built in an environmentally safer area rather than the present CRZ. He is also all praise for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for their environmental awareness campaigns and band on plastics.

As the applicant had no further objections, the NGT dismissed the case after recording TTD’s commitments. The order, delivered on July 31, was uploaded recently.

Though satisfied with the order, Kumar said the environmentalists' concerns over the fact that the temple plot is in a flood -prone zone. The temple is being built on an elevated place but the lower areas can be marooned with the rising levels which is a reality that no one can neglect, the activist added.