Bombay HC Dismisses PILs, Clears Adani Group For 28-Acre Bandra Reclamation Project

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday cleared the way for private development of reclaimed land at Bandra Reclamation by the Adani Group, dismissing two public interest litigations (PILs) challenging the project.

Bench Rules No Legal Basis to Halt Development

A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne ruled that there was no legal basis to restrain the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) or its private partners from developing the 28-acre plot.

The court found no merit in the arguments presented by petitioners environmental activist Zoru Bhathena and the Bandra Reclamation Area Volunteers Organisation (BRAVO).

Court Statement on PILs

“Petitioners have failed to make out a valid ground of challenge to development of the subject plot at the instance of MSRDC. Both the petitions are devoid of merits. They are accordingly dismissed,” the court stated. It added that considering the facts and circumstances, there would be no order as to costs.

CRZ Allegations Rejected

The PILs had sought to halt construction, alleging violations of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and arguing that MSRDC — whose mandate primarily includes road and bridge infrastructure — could not undertake or allow commercial development of the land.

However, the court rejected this contention, holding that MSRDC, as an instrumentality of the State, could repurpose land transferred to it by the government.

“Once the MSRDC has become owner of the land in question, it is for MSRDC to decide its use and exploitation,” the court observed, adding that the reclaimed land originally belonged to the State and was validly transferred for development.

Statutory Clearances in Place

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and MSRDC all opposed the PILs, asserting that all statutory clearances were obtained in accordance with law. The MOEFCC confirmed that it had granted environmental clearance on April 8, 2025, under Item 8(a) of the EIA Notification, 2006.

A key objection raised by the petitioners involved CRZ restrictions. But MOEFCC relied on a technical report from the Institute of Remote Sensing at Anna University, Chennai, which concluded that the two sub-plots earmarked for development — A and B — lie entirely outside CRZ limits, as per the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan.

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Mumbai News: BMC Backs Adani's Bandra Reclamation Project, Says Plot Outside CRZ; Petitioner Alleges MSRDC Suppressed Facts

Alleged Non-Disclosure by MSRDC Not Upheld

Bhathena alleged that MSRDC suppressed facts by failing to disclose in its October 2024 affidavit that its board had already approved a Construction and Development Agreement (C&DA) with Adani Properties Pvt Ltd and its special purpose vehicle, Cavill Infraspace Pvt Ltd, on September 30, 2024. The agreement was formally signed on October 9.

Nonetheless, the court concluded, “We cannot see any illegality in MSRDC undertaking development of the land in question.”