Responding to a PIL filed by the Shramik Mukti Sanghatna, the Bombay high court on Thursday asked the state if clearances from the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) are required to build a dam on Kalu river in Thane.
The Shramik Mukti Sanghatna has alleged that the dam is being built without requisite permissions from the forest department.
The petitioners’ lawyer Gayatri Singh said that the NGO had made several representations before the authorities in October 2010 and April this year. The forest department, she claimed, confirmed to the petitioners that the work was being carried out without its permission.
Government pleader Vijay Patil said if the land involved is less than 1,000ha, the permission of the forest department is not needed. The court adjourned the hearing till July 26.
