Realty developers urged the Maharashtra government and the central government to interfere and take expedited and effective steps to circulate the final notification of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary to continue the development activity in Thane, Navi Mumbai, MIDC, Mumbai and Raigad area. The developers operating in this region claimed that the delay in issuing the fresh notification could impact over 500 projects worth Rs 5 lakh crore by reaching out to the concerned authorities through CREDAI MCHI. It is predicted that it might lead to the potential loss of livelihood for over 5 lakh construction workers because a lot of developers are currently unlikely to receive their commencement certificates in spite of undertaking the construction activities promptly under the revised norms. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Mumbai’s civic body, recently issued a notification saying that it is compulsory for developers with projects from the boundaries of eco-sensitive Thane creek flamingo sanctuary within a 10 km radius to seek prior construction approval from the National Board of Wildlife. Developers believe this move will deliver a massive blow to the real estate sector after a few months after the non-extension of stamp duty rebate. Deepak Goradia, the President of CREDAI MCHI, told the media that the MCGM’s acknowledgement of the notification by the Environment Ministry to put a 10 km buffer around Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary impacting all construction activities is a massive setback to the already struggling MMR real estate and infrastructure industry after the non-extension of stamp duty rebate and that it would adversely affect several residential projects within the MCGM area and other areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. He also said that they believe this act would negatively affect the entire ecosystem and Maharashtra’s economy, owing to the industry’s strong multiplier effect. Projects in key infrastructural development areas like Chembur, Bandra- East, Matunga, Mulund, Andheri- East, Parel, among others, and are bound to deal with issues in enabling construction activities and supplying possession to homebuyers with over 15 wards covered in the 10 km buffer zone in Mumbai. The Mumbai civic body’s notification referred to a letter from the deputy forest conservator of the Thane division, which says that prior approval is needed for all development projects and construction work falling within this 10km zone. A 10 km zone around 21 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries located in eight states were declared as eco-sensitive zones by the Supreme Court in 2018. It was looked at as a critical initiative to restore and preserve flora and fauna of the region and avoid man-animal conflict. In its guidelines earlier for declaration of eco-sensitive zones around 662 protected flora and fauna zones, the central government had fixed 10 km as the general norm for determining such zones. However, as this formula covered various urban habitations located close to the national parks and sanctuaries, respective state governments had objected. Image Source Also read: Barred constructions near Thane sanctuary to affect housing projects