Nagpur: The revised proposal for the construction of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in the Arabian Sea has received environmental clearance (EC) from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). However, the height of the statue has been reduced to 126 metres from the originally proposed 190 metres.
A copy of the EC, granted on June 15, 2018, is available with The Hindu . In the revised proposal, the overall height of the structure has been increased from 190 metres to 210 metres, with the pedestal height raised from 30 metres to 84 metres.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ claim of building one of the tallest statues in the Arabian Sea appears to remain true, despite the 64-metre drop in the height of the Shivaji statue, as the increase in height is solely due to the 54 metres added to the height of the pedestal.
The pedestal would accommodate a series of elevators to approach the base of the statue, and also house a museum and a virtual reality-based immersive experience for visitors.
“This is what we have been asking the government. While the overall height has been increased, it is now confirmed that the clearance for the height of the Shivaji statue has been reduced. The Chief Minister’s claims have been exposed,” former CM Prithviraj Chavan told The Hindu .
Controversial claim
Two days ago, the Maharashtra Assembly had to be adjourned several times over the issue of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue; Mr. Fadnavis had claimed that it would be the tallest in the country.
The EC says the proposed island reclamation is planned in two phases. In the first phase, 7.18 ha of island will be reclaimed; 5.97 ha will be reclaimed in the second phase. A two-tiered structure has been proposed. The total cost of the project is estimated at ₹3,600 crore.
