The Bombay High Court on Saturday
accepted a decision taken by a committee set up by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests permitting a goods tempo to ferry food and other essential items to Matheran hill station, some 80 kilometres from Mumbai.
Matheranwas declared an eco-sensitive zone by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest in 2003 and no vehicles are allowed beyond Dasturi Point, except ambulances as well as fire brigade and solid waste management vehicles.
Justice S J Kathawalla was hearing a plea filed by former MLA Suresh Narayan Lad seeking relaxation on vehicular restrictions inMatherantown so that essential goods can be provided to the residents in view of the lockdown for the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The plea sought directions to the MoEF and the Raigad district collector to relax norms to enable small tempos and trucks to enter the town with essential commodities.
An interim monitoring committee was set up under the chairmanship of Shivaji Daund, Divisional Commissioner, Konkan to hear the petitioner and take appropriate decision.
The court was on Saturday informed that the committee had permitted the Municipal Council of Matheran to hire a goods tempo to ferry essential items and food once a week to the town.
The court, while accepting the recommendation, however, directed for the vehicle to be deployed thrice a week instead of once.
The court also accepted another recommendation of the committee by which a proposal would be submitted to Central Railway for approving goods transport by attaching dedicated goods coaches with the Dasturi Naka-Matheran train.
The petition had stated that nearly 4,500 residents ofMatheranand around 25,000 from neighbouring villages, including tribals and cattle farmers, are dependent on the town for their livelihood and daily supply of essential items.
As per the petition, even during normal conditions, vehicular traffic in Matheran was restricted and goods were transported into the town through hand-pulled or horse carts.
However, since the lockdown was imposed, many of the handcart-pullers and horses are not available.
Residents, meanwhile, are buying essential items at inflated prices, many of them being forced to pay Rs 250 extra per gas cylinder and Rs 10 to 15 more per kg for vegetables and fruits, the petition said.
The court accepted the decision of the committee and disposed of the petition.
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