Maharashtra government forms new coastal zone management authority after months of delay
Maharashtra has finally received approval from the Centre for the formation of a new Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), putting an end to an eight-month delay that had stalled over 165 critical infrastructure and development projects across the state’s coastal regions.
The newly approved MCZMA committee comes after two previously proposed panels were rejected by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. Sources confirmed that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had expressed strong displeasure over the prolonged delay, which had caused significant project backlogs. The last meeting regarding the authority’s reconstitution was held in December 2024 under the tenure of Pravin Darade, then Principal Secretary of the Environment Department.
The delay was primarily due to restrictions on reappointments; individuals who had already served two terms in the MCZMA were deemed ineligible for a new term. It was only after a fresh list was submitted that the Centre issued the final notification approving the committee.
Several projects by agencies such as the BMC, MMRDA, and CIDCO were in limbo, pending environmental clearance from MCZMA as required under the Coastal Regulation Zone provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. These include developments in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Palghar, and Sindhudurg.
The new committee will be chaired by Jayashree Bhoj, secretary of the environment department. It includes senior officials from revenue, urban development, fisheries, and forestry departments, as well as academic and environmental experts. Notable members include Dr Lakshmipura Ranganath from CWPRS, Dr Milind Sardesai of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Dr Amit Bansiwal from NEERI, and Aneesh Andheria from the Wildlife Conservation Trust.
A senior environment department official confirmed that the first meeting of the reconstituted authority will be scheduled next week. Industry leaders, including the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry, welcomed the decision and urged swift action to clear the mounting backlog of projects.
