12.5.17

Mumbai's coastal road gets final MoEF approval


The Union environment and forests ministry has given the final clearance for Mumbai's 29 km coastal road project, CM Devendra Fadnavis tweeted. The project, estimated at Rs.15,000 crore, will connect south Mumbai with Kandivali and will be built in four phases.

The project has been delayed for want of MoEF nod; the ministry had sent the proposal back to the state environment body pointing out several flaws in the plan which requires reclamation of land and removal of mangroves. With the MoEF approving it, work is likely to start around November once the tender process gets completed.

The project has been delayed for years as MoEF had sent the proposal back to the state environment body pointing out several deficiencies in the project, which requires reclamation of land and removal of mangroves. The eight-lane road will be partly landfilled, having bridges and tunnels (near Marine Lines), partly elevated and partly on reclaimed land, with sea wall along its route. The BMC will build the Marine Drive to Bandra stretch, while the second phase (Bandra end of sea link to Kandivli) is likely to be built by MSRDC.

The project was proposed during the Congress-NCP rule in the state. In 2014, when BJP came to power at the centre and the state, the project was tweaked and fast-tracked. In the BMC elections earlier this year, the Shiv Sena manifesto promised to get all permission for the project.

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