Mumbai: Three film studios in Madh, which were recently found to be in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules, have been granted interim relief from demolition by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) after the owners approached the green court late last month.
The studios will be safe from action by the BMC until at least November 9.
Unlike the majority of illegal film studios which have mushroomed in the area without any permission from either the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) or the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), these owners were granted permissions for erecting temporary structures for a period of six months between February and August 2021. The permissions were not renewed after August 31 last year, making the structures illegal.
Permissions were granted to three entities, namely Bhatia Bollywood Studios, Expressions Studios and Balaji Tirupati Cinemas, during the MCZMA’s 152nd meeting on February 16, 2021. One of the studios, Balaji Tirupati Cinemas, had applied for renewal of the permissions in October 2021, citing the then rampant Covid-19 outbreak as a reason for the delay.
The owner’s petition alleges that “the application has been rejected without any hearing”. The owner also submitted to the NGT a letter issued by the MCGM dated September 6, 2021, in which the BMC extended its own permission for erecting the temporary film studio till October 2021.
“Prior to that, he had already moved an application for consideration which has now been rejected on account of some complaints which were never shared with the Appellant nor any show cause notice was given regarding that nor opportunity of hearing was given to them,” the petition continues, emphasising that certain permissions were indeed granted, even in the absence of CRZ clearance. “We are concurring with the argument raised… and in view of above, let the status quo be maintained with respect to the property in question till next date,” the NGT’s Western Bench has observed.
On September 13, two such structures were demolished by the BMC after BJP spokesperson Kirit Somaiya raised allegations of 49 illegal film studios having come up in the Madh-Marve area between 2020-21, in violation of the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) rules and with the complicity of the state coastal zone regulator. A subsequent investigation by the BMC has found at least 16 illegal film studios in the region against which coercive action is being planned.
An official with the BMC in P/North Ward, seeking anonymity, said, “A few more studios will be demolished, yes. I am not aware of any NGT order, but only those studios which have approached the court will be given interim relief. If necessary, the BMC will also file interventions before the court to ensure that these violations are not allowed to continue.”