Conservation Action Trust And Anr vs The State Of Maharashtra And Ors

Headnote AI-drafted · Editorially reviewed

The petitions arose out of disputes concerning land within and adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Thane Municipal Corporation limits, involving questions of forest land classification, environmental protection, development permissions, and the rights of private parties over lands claimed to be forest or national park buffer areas. The State of Maharashtra, acting through the Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, challenged certain rights and developments claimed by private respondents including D. Dayabhai & Co. Pvt. Ltd. and others over lands in the Manpada-Ghodbunder Road area of Thane.

Conservation Action Trust and its Executive Trustee sought intervention in the proceedings raising environmental concerns relating to the protection of ecologically sensitive land, green cover, and the sanctity of reserved forest and national park boundaries. The Thane Municipal Corporation was also impleaded as a party given its role in granting development permissions and its statutory obligations under municipal and town planning law.

The Bombay High Court, after examining the competing claims of the State forest authorities, private landowners, the municipal corporation, and environmental intervenors, disposed of the connected writ petitions and interim applications with appropriate directions balancing private property rights against the imperatives of forest and environmental conservation under applicable statutory frameworks.

Catchwords: forest land national park Sanjay Gandhi National Park environmental protection development permission Thane Municipal Corporation private land reserved forest writ petition intervener conservation urban development Maharashtra