MCZMA Approves Hoardings on Coastal Road

13 Jan 2025 CW Team

The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has granted approval for hoardings at three specific locations along Mumbai’s coastal road, despite strong opposition from local residents, activists, and political groups. The hoardings will be installed at Tata Garden, Amazon Garden, and Lala Lajpatrai Garden, generating an estimated Rs 100 million monthly revenue for the BMC.

The MCZMA approval came with conditions, including that the hoardings must be placed on the landward side of the road or existing structures. The BMC is tasked with ensuring adherence to these guidelines.

However, environmental activists, including Godfrey Pimenta of the WatchDog Foundation, have urged the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to intervene. Pimenta has written to MoEF requesting a stay on the approval to prevent potential violations of environmental regulations.

Nicholas Almeida, another activist, pointed out that the approval violates a specific condition in the Environmental Clearance for the Coastal Road Project, which prohibits the use of reclaimed land for commercial purposes. However, senior civic officials argued that no Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules were breached, as the hoardings are not placed on the coastal road itself.

Infrastructure Urban

13 Oct 2025

Jharkhand Forms Teams to Modernise Urban Infrastructure

The Jharkhand Urban Development Department has constituted multiple expert teams to plan, assess, and modernise urban infrastructure across the state’s cities and towns, an official said on Thursday. The initiative aligns with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s vision to position Jharkhand among India’s leading states in the field of advanced and sustainable urban development. The teams have been tasked with identifying existing infrastructure gaps and proposing new projects to promote stable and long-term growth. According to Sunil Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Urban Development and Ho..

Kerala CM Seeks Rs 22 Billion NDRF Aid, AIIMS Nod from PM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, seeking urgent financial and policy support for the state. The Chief Minister requested the release of the Rs 22.21 billion National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) grant for Wayanad landslide reconstruction and pressed for immediate approval to establish an AIIMS at Kinaloor, Kozhikode. “Called on the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji and requested the urgent release of the full Rs 22.21 billion NDRF grant for Wayanad landslide reconstruction. Also urged immediate approval for establishing..

Meta Picks Mumbai, Vizag for Global Subsea Cable Project

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has selected Mumbai and Visakhapatnam as the landing sites for its multibillion-dollar subsea cable project, Waterworth. The company has appointed Sify Technologies as its landing partner in India under a USD 5 million (Rs 420 million) contract. Google has also partnered with Sify for the Indian landing of its USD 400 million (Rs 33.6 billion) Blue-Raman subsea cable, underscoring the surge in global investment into India’s digital infrastructure and its growing strategic significance in international data connectivity..