India, July 22 -- The Bombay high court has allowed the diversion of 94.68 hectares of forest and the cutting of 21,022 trees for the construction of 132-KV DC transmission lines from Dahanu sub-station to Suryanagar, Kavdas and Jawhar in Maharashtra's Palghar, citing the infrastructural importance and assurances of compensatory afforestation.

"We are satisfied that the project serves a public purpose and is an infrastructure project," a bench of acting chief justice Ravindra Ghuge and justice Gautam Ankhad said on Tuesday.

Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (MSETCL) approached the court as a September 2018 order prohibited non-forest activities in and around mangrove areas without the court's prior permission. The c...