Mumbai infrastructure gets moving

Mumbaikars can expect construction of the coastal road from Cuffe Parade to Marve, encompassing the existing Bandra-Worli sea link, to begin next year. A ‘bhoomipujan’ for the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, in the Arabian sea, is likely on February 19.
In a significant boost to Mumbai’s coastal road plan, which has the potential to decongest traffic on the western corridor, the central government has given in-principle approval to amend the CRZ (coastal regulation zone) notification in a way that some coastal stretches can be reclaimed to reduce the cost and time of implementation, ensuring there is a lesser burden of toll on Mumbaikars.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, while winding up a debate over the governor’s address to the joint session of the Assembly, said the Union minister (environment minister Prakash Javadekar) has already given in-principle nod to amend the notification drafted in 2011 during the UPA’s tenure, so there are no legal hurdles in implementing the long pending project. “The coastal road project has the potential to decongest 60% of Mumbai’s traffic and a detailed project report is being prepared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC),” he added.
Fadnavis lauded the plan of Shivaji Memorial prepared by the erstwhile government but lamented that it could not take permissions to start the work. “However our government has done this in just one month,“ he added indicating Prime Minister Narendra Modi was likely to attend the `bhoomipujan', on February 19, the birth anniversary of the Maratha emperor. He also informed the House that the state had agreed to all the Centre's conditions--like extending transferable development rights on Indu Mill land to the Centre and appointing one member from the Union government to the trust that will build Dr Ambedkar’s memorial on the land. “We also hope to start its construction soon,” he added.
Discussing the issue of a committee headed by Modi to review Mumbai’s projects, Fadnavis said the joint committee was to ensure all Centre-related permissions and funding for state projects.