Ministry of environment gives in-principle approval for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial in the Arabian Sea

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has granted in-principal approval for the construction of Chatrapati Shivaji statue  in the Arabian Sea near Marine Drive. The Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Ms. Jayanti Natarajan and Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan made this announcement at a joint press conference in Mumbai today.

The Government of Maharashtra has proposed to build a 309 feet statue four kms from Marine Drive on a 18 acre islet in the Arabian Sea. The site proposed by the state government falls under Coastal Regulation Zone-IV, where any of kind of construction activity is prohibited.

Briefing media persons, Ms. Natarajan said the in-principal  approval was considered as a special case, keeping in mind the aspirations and emotions of people of Maharashtra. She said the Government of Maharashtra put forward convincing arguments and the statue would be built on a solid rock bed, which is well above the high tide line. She however, asserted that no commercial activity can be undertaken at the site.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Prithviraj Chavan further informed that a total of 40 different approvals will have to be obtained before beginning the construction of the memorial.

Ms. Natarajan also emphasized that her Ministry was not an obstacle in the path of development.  She said it was a wrong perception that the Ministry of Environment & Forests puts obstacles in granting green clearances. The Minister said, only 12 per cent of the projects come for approval to the Centre, while remaining 88 per cent projects are cleared by respective state governments.  She said the pendency ratio in her Ministry was very low and there were no proposals pending before the Forest Advisory Committee as on date.

Maharashtra CM agreed with the views expressed by Ms. Natarajan and informed that the Government of Maharashtra was putting in place systems to fast track procedures for clearing projects.

Earlier, the Environment Minister Ms. Natarajan held two separate meetings with senior officials of Environment and Forest Departments of Government of Maharashtra.  Implementation of Kasturi Rangan Report to Western Ghats,  lifting of mining moratorium in Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, clearance for Coastal highways around Mumbai,  environmental clearance for widening of Mumbai – Goa Highway at the Karnala Bird Sanctuary were among important issues discussed during the meeting.

In the forenoon, Ms. Natarajan reviewed the present status of safety measures to deal with protection of environment along the coast. That meeting was attended by senior officers of Ministry of Environment & Forest, Department of Environment, Government of Maharashtra, DG Shipping, Mumbai Port Trust and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Indian Coast Guards, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and ONGC etc. Ends /

PIB Mum/MD