Ulwe Temple Sparks Environmental Concerns Amid NGT Case
Environmental concerns have taken centre stage in Navi Mumbai as the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams (TTD) reportedly advances construction on the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Ulwe. The development, initiated despite an unresolved environmental case before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has triggered opposition from activists citing potential ecological damage.
The case, pending at the NGT’s Western Zonal Bench for over a year, alleges that the designated 10-acre site falls within a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ1) and includes an intertidal wetland previously utilised for fishing. Environmental groups argue that the land—once a temporary casting yard for the Atal Setu project—hosts mudflats, sparse mangroves, and lies within a flood hazard zone as per the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) layout. Concerns escalated after heavy machinery and workers were observed carrying out landfill work at the site, reportedly encroaching upon the mangrove buffer zone. Environmentalists assert that a section of the intertidal wetland has already been covered with concrete slurry and earth, raising alarms over irreversible ecological damage.
B N Kumar, Director of NatConnect Foundation and the petitioner in the NGT case, underscored the significance of protecting the fragile coastal ecosystem. “The site’s natural landscape is being altered at an alarming pace, despite regulatory constraints,” he stated, urging authorities to intervene. Adding to the controversy, political tensions have also surfaced. In August 2023, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Neelayapalem Vijayakumar criticised the previous Andhra Pradesh government for advancing the project without addressing environmental objections raised by activists. TTD’s legal position remains precarious, given its delay in responding to the NGT’s proceedings.
During a recent hearing on 17 January, the Tribunal imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on the trust for failing to submit an affidavit on time. TTD’s legal representatives cited delays due to the transition in the Andhra Pradesh government, but the NGT dismissed this reasoning, directing the organisation to file its response within two weeks, contingent on payment of the fine. With the case still under NGT’s scrutiny and ecological violations under investigation, the rapid pace of construction has only deepened concerns among environmentalists and local stakeholders. As debates over regulatory compliance and sustainability intensify, the future of the Ulwe temple project remains entangled in legal and environmental complexities.