Mumbai: The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has cleared a proposal to construct a 1.5-km long, four-lane cable-stayed bridge connecting the areas of Manori, Gorai and Uttan with Marve. Although ferries ply between Marve and Manori currently, there is no direct road connectivity between the areas which forces motorists to take a 29-km detour via Mira Bhayander, with the journey taking up to 2 hours in peak traffic.
The proposal for the cable-stayed bridge was cleared during MCZMA’s meeting on December 12. Minutes of the meeting, which became available this week, stated that 45 mangrove trees (Avicennia marina) would have to be axed for the bridge and a compensatory mangrove plantation would be undertaken at Virathan Budruk village in Palghar.
The area of the plantation should be at least three times the area of mangroves affected/ destroyed during construction, as per the 2019 coastal regulatory zone notification, the MCZMA clarified during the meeting. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is constructing the bridge, must also take a no-objection certificate from the high court and the mangrove protection cell before commencing work, the minutes noted.
The MCZMA told the BMC that a mangrove densification plan should be implemented at the site in collaboration with the mangrove cell before the project takes off. The BMC must allocate suitable land near the project site for this and provide necessary funds to the mangrove cell as part of the environmental management plan (EMP), the minutes said.
Local residents had raised several objections to the plan, saying the bridge would damage the local ecology and rob farmers, fisherfolk and toddy-tappers of their traditional occupation. An environmentalist who attended a meeting between the BMC and local fishermen said the bridge would destroy several gaothans, especially in Dharavi Beth, an island.
{{/usCountry}}Local residents had raised several objections to the plan, saying the bridge would damage the local ecology and rob farmers, fisherfolk and toddy-tappers of their traditional occupation. An environmentalist who attended a meeting between the BMC and local fishermen said the bridge would destroy several gaothans, especially in Dharavi Beth, an island.
{{/usCountry}}“The four-lane bridge will destroy the tranquility of Dharavi Beth and entail the demolition of houses in the gaothans of Manori, Kulvem and Gorai, as the road passing through the area has just one lane,” said the environmentalist.
The BMC had received clearance for a cable-stayed bridge connecting Madh with Versova last year.
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