BMC asks SC to vacate stay on further works on Coastal Road

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday, July 8, sought the Supreme Court’s permission to proceed with “other development works” on its newly reclaimed Coastal Road land

Mumbai The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday, July 8, sought the Supreme Court’s permission to proceed with “other development works” on its newly reclaimed Coastal Road land.

In a previous order in October 2020, the SC had denied the BMC’s request to vacate this order (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

This includes development of gardens, car parking, landscaping and “allied activities” which are currently barred by a December 17, 2019 order of the apex court. At the time, the SC had allowed the BMC to proceed with reclaiming the land, but prevented any further developments.

In a previous order in October 2020, the SC had denied the BMC’s request to vacate this order. However, with 107 out of 111 hectares of proposed reclamation complete, the BMC has made a fresh request saying that ‘construction of certain parts of the road is required to be undertaken simultaneously with the other development works’. Notably, these works include the construction of an underground car park at Haji Ali, with a capacity of accommodating 1,864 vehicles.

These are imperative to keep the newly-reclaimed land -- which is envisioned for both active and passive public use -- free of encroachments, illegal parking, street vendors and hawkers and religious structures and other ‘illegal occupants’, the BMC also submitted to the SC on Friday.

In March this year, a group of 70 renowned city-based urban planners and architects had written to the BMC suggesting a tweak in the design of the 10-km-long coastal road, seeking that the reclaimed open spaces face the seaside and be turned into a waterfront that can be used by cyclists and pedestrians. The BMC, however, has said that work will carry on as per current design specifications, but added that two biodiversity parks and a butterfly garden will be developed on the open land.

Out of the reclaimed space of 111 hectares as a part of the project, 70 hectares or about 63.6% of the space will be used for developing recreation spaces and amenities for citizens. As many as 26.5 hectares or 23.88% of the space will be used up for the construction of interchanges for the project, and 14.5 hectares or 13.6% of the space will be used for constructing the sea wall.

Chandrakant Kandalkar, chief engineer at the BMC’s Coastal Roads department, did not respond to requests for comment. However, a subordinate official privy to the details, seeking anonymity, said, “As per the proposed alignment, 55% of the civil works have already been completed. It has been mentioned in our application to the SC that the ramp portion of Haji Ali interchange, which will allow traffic to move from Bandra-Sea Link to Worli Naka, needs to be built on the topmost slab of the car park. The car park needs to be completed before certain portions of the road can be built.”