NAVI MUMBAI, Nov. 1 -- The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to set up a High Power Committee (HPC) to assess livelihood losses suffered by 3,151 traditional fishing communities due to the construction of bridges and other infrastructure projects for the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). A division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait M Sethna directed the state to constitute the committee within two weeks of the order being uploaded. The affected fishermen will have three weeks to submit their claims, which the committee must examine and decide within the next three months. The petition was filed by the Maharashtra Small-Scale Traditional Fish Workers' Union, representing fishermen from seven koliwadas - Diwale, Vaghivali, Peth, Rodpali, Belpada, Motha Kanda and Taloja. During High Court proceedings, Advocate General Milind Sathe agreed to form a committee to assess compensation claims by traditional fishermen affected by Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) infrastructure works. The high-powered panel will include representatives from Cidco, the Fisheries Department, Revenue and Forest Department, local police, the Raigad district collector, and the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO)-who will also represent the MCZMA. However, union president Nandkumar Pawar questioned creating another panel, noting a similar committee already exists for fishermen's grievances regarding the Thane Creek Bridge-III project in the same region. The union clarified it does not oppose the nationally important airport project or seek construction stays, demanding only compensation for livelihood losses caused by construction. The dispute focuses on stilt bridges built by Cidco, including the 1,762.87-metre SBR-9 bridge across Panvel Creek and the BR-4 and BR-5 bridges across the Gadhi River. The community, which relies heavily on doll-net fishing requiring steady tidal movement, alleges that bridge pillars, along with the diversion and realignment of the Ulwe and Gadhi rivers, have altered the estuary's ecology. Pawar stated that narrowed channels, shallow muddy waters, accumulated silt, and increased turbidity have obstructed traditional boat routes, destroyed fish breeding grounds, and collapsed daily catches. After approaching Cidco between July and September 2025, the union faced rejection on October 30, 2025, when Cidco denied causing ecological damage. The union filed a High Court petition on November 19, 2025, raising concerns about unassessed environmental impacts. The petition alleged that mandatory rapid environmental impact and hydrological studies for off-site infrastructure were skipped despite a 2011 MCZMA recommendation. Relying on its July 16, 2021 judgment in Mariyayi Macchimar Sahkari Sanstha Maryadit v. Department of Fisheries, the High Court ordered a structured committee mechanism to assess the affected fishermen's claims....