Thane: Former Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay S. Oka made a scathing remark on urban planning in Thane, questioning why basic infrastructure projects are being passed off as “development” and suggesting that several mega projects underway may lack legal sanction.Speaking at a public event, Sunday evening, Justice Oka said flyovers, bridges, highways and high-rise buildings cannot, by themselves, be regarded as markers of development. “Real development lies in affordable housing, accessible healthcare, quality education, efficient public transport and environmental protection,” he said.Invoking the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, Oka said every city is required to prepare a statutory Development Plan (DP) through its planning authority—in Thane’s case, the municipal corporation.“The DP is meant to identify transport infrastructure, including roads, railways and waterways. Yet projects such as SATIS, the Ring Metro and several other major works do not appear to be part of the city’s Development Plan. If that is so, their execution is illegal,” he said.He reminded citizens that the Constitution guarantees them the right to object to government-sponsored projects. “People must realise that the city belongs to them, not to elected representatives,” Justice Oka said.The former SC judge also took aim at large-scale infrastructure projects that entail the felling of mature trees and destruction of mangroves, while referring to the Coastal Road. He said statutory bodies, including municipal tree authorities, are expected to protect the environment rather than function as “rubber stamps.” Oka also questioned the practice of compensatory afforestation where decades-old trees were replaced with saplings elsewhere.
