The city’s ambitious road along the western coastal stretch has undergone its first major design modification.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has scrapped the planned 5km-long sea tunnel from Backbay (in South Mumbai) to Priyadarshani Park. The road will now have an underground tunnel starting from H2O water sport complex near Girgaum Chowpatty to the park on Napean Sea Road
“The original design did have a sea tunnel as suggested by the consultant. However, we have observed that the cost of building such tunnel will be too much when compared to the underground one. After a review by an expert committee, we have decided to scrap the earlier planned sea tunnel,” Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) told The Hindu .
According to BMC’s estimate, the cost of construction of the sea tunnel was expected to be around Rs 4,000-4,500 crore. The revised design will cost Rs 600-650 crore.
The underground tunnel, expected to be 20 meters below the surface, will go under Girgaum Chowpatty, residential settlements and the green zone. “There will be no damage to surface structures,” said Dr. Mukherjee.
The recently-published Development Plan of Mumbai chalks out this new coastal road, which starts from Hindu Gymkhana near Marine Lines railway station and goes underground near Girgaum Chowpatty.
Besides the sea tunnel, the proposed connection between Khar Danda village and Ritumbara College near Juhu Beach may also be reconsidered. The tunnel there could be replaced by a sea-link on the lines of Bandra-Worli Sea Link or a road on a reclaimed area.
“The coastal road raises certain questions. The DP shows it going over the chowpatty and not underground as the officer is now claiming. Nowhere in the DP is the word tunnel mentioned when it crosses the said area,” said Pankaj Joshi, Executive Director, Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI), Mumbai.
“Realignment is not a problem, the project itself is. A tunnel takes from end to end, means public transport won’t be of much use. We are spending huge amounts on private transport at a time when that money can be used to improve suburban train network or to introduce BRTS on Western Express Highway, ” said Hussain Indorewala, Research Associate, Collective for Spatial Alternative and co-convener, Hamara Shehar Mumbai.
The environmentalists too are sceptical over the civic body’s move. “The realignment exercise goes on to show very little application of mind while finalising the plan. There has been constant change in alignment. If they want citizens to give their opinions, they should come up with a final plan,” said Darryl D’monte, chairperson, Forum of Environmental Journalists of India.
