In December 2023, locals opposed the removal of mangroves and flattening of land in the fragile coastal regulation zone (CRZ) in Jafrabad in Gujarat's Amreli district for the construction of the cricket ground.
A local advocate Haresh Bambhaniya, who moved the Gujarat High Court with a public interest litigation (PIL), said, “On December 22, I noticed that earthmoving machinery was at work, uprooting mangroves and creating an earthen bund. I immediately went to the office of Jafrabad mamlatdar and gave him an application, seeking his intervention for the protection of mangroves.” However, the work continued for the next few days.
According to the petition, the affected land falls within the High Tide Line, where construction activities are prohibited within 500 meters of the landward side, as per the CRZ-I Category of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification.
On 4 May 2024, the court served notices to the Centre, the the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and the Amreli District Collector. It also requested statements from the Ministry of Environment, the state government, the district Collector, and the Mamlatdar by the next hearing date on 7 July 2024.
Following the court order, the Amreli district CRZ committee held a meeting on 15 May 2024 and ordered restoration of the land. "The state CRZ committee informed us that action can be taken under the Environment Protection Act and that restoration work should commence. Consequently, we removed the earthen bunds and leveled the area again over the weekend," Ajay Dahiya, district collector of Amreli and chairman of the Amreli district CRZ committee, told The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, the Jafrabad police have initiated an investigation based on a complaint from Alkesh Rathod, a regional officer of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (Bhavnagar). An FIR has been filed against unidentified individuals under Section 25 of the Environment Protection Act (contravention of EP Act provisions) and Section 427 of the Indian Penal Code (mischief causing damage or loss exceeding Rs 50).
"Initially, we didn’t understand the reason for clearing the mangroves. Eventually, it became clear that the area was being prepared for a cricket ground, with earthen bunds constructed on three sides to prevent tidal waters from entering," Bhambhaniya told the publication.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to cancel the project
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Type of Land
Common
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project stalled due to protests
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Other environmental services
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
“The state CRZ committee told us that that action can be taken under the Environment Protection Act and that restoration work should also be undertaken. Accordingly, we removed the earthen bunds and levelled the area again over the weekend,” Ajay Dahiya, district collector of Amreli and chairman of Amreli district CRZ committee, told [The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/).
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Gujarat High Court
Case Number
WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 29 of 2024
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Amreli district CRZ committee; Amreli District administration; Gujarat Pollution Control Board; Jafrabad Police
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
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