More than 70,000 housing units spread across 493 developments in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have stalled after the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Bhopal, ruled that schemes within five kilometres of any eco sensitive zone must obtain environmental clearance from the Union Government rather than the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).

The NGT’s August 2023 decision, prompted by a petition from environmentalist Pranjal Karera, requires the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to assess all construction near wildlife sanctuaries, critically polluted areas and other protected tracts. Developers say the shift has disrupted timelines and strained finances, particularly for affordable and mid income schemes.

In early June, builders asked municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to permit work up to plinth level under the Ease of Doing Business initiative. The request was rejected because it would breach the tribunal’s order.

Neighbourhoods now affected include belts surrounding Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnala and Thane Bird Sanctuaries, Panvel Creek and Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary. Zameer Khan, chief executive of Unimax World, warned that clearance delays threaten scheme viability; many sites still await Coastal Zone Management Plan approval, adding further uncertainty.

Navi Mumbai is among the worst hit. Numerous projects on CIDCO allotted land cannot register with the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority until they receive the new permissions. Hitendra Ghadia, director at Millennium Infra, noted that the knock on effects extend to contractors, buyers and state revenues, urging a swift, workable remedy.