MMRDA gets nod for twin tunnels under SGNP; 122 trees to be felled for CM Shinde’s pet project

The State Board of Wildlife has approved a proposal to cut 122 trees in Sanjay Gandhi National Park to build tunnels connecting Borivali to Thane in Mumbai. The project has faced criticism from environmentalists due to potential harm to wildlife and ecological damage.

: The State Board of Wildlife has approved a proposal allowing Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to cut 122 trees in the core area and the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to build twin tunnels connecting Borivali to Thane, people familiar with the development said. The pet project of chief minister Eknath Shinde will require 27 holes which will be drilled using explosives.

MMRDA gets nod for twin tunnels under SGNP; 122 trees to be felled for CM Shinde’s pet project

Fearing criticism from environmentalists, the decision that was taken at a meeting of the board chaired by forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Monday was kept under wraps.

As per the agenda of the meeting, a copy of which is with HT, 68 of the 122 trees have a girth of less than 60 centimetres and the rest have a girth of more than 60 centimetres. As many as 15 holes of six inches will have to be drilled in the protected area and ESZ. The project cost is estimated at ₹18,795.70 crore and MMRDA has been asked to deposit 2% of the it - ₹379.54 crore - as mitigation costs.

The note said the underground tunnels would give a direct connectivity to motorists from Borivali to Manpada and Ghodbunder Road in Thane and also give access to national highways 3 and 8. The wildlife board has said that they will have to conduct a study jointly with the Wildlife Institute of India for the project.

MMRDA has been directed to erect concrete walls around the blasting sites to avoid risks to wildlife. Care will also be taken to prevent landslides on account of the drilling work, the agenda said.

Despite attempts, MMRDA could not be reached for a comment while SGNP director G Mallikarjun refused to answer HT’s queries on the development. There were no comments from the forest secretary, B V Reddy, either.

A forest officer attached to SGNP, however, said that though the state wildlife board had given the project a go-ahead, an approval from the National Board of Wildlife and a clearance under the forest conservation Act from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change would be required. He admitted that blasting in SGNP could cause immense harm to wildlife.

Environmentalists have strongly reacted to the plan.

Kishor Rithe, an environmentalist and a member of the state wildlife board, said, “We were told about the meeting on Saturday and the agenda was sent on Monday. I clearly said that there was not enough time to attend the meeting and requested the forest secretary to postpone it. We had chief ministers like Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray who used to allow us enough time to study and assess proposals. Things are done hastily now.’’

SGNP is a very fragile area and blasting and drilling can harm wildlife immensely, said Krishna Tiwari from Forest and Wildlife Conservation Society. “Sooner or later, MMRDA will need deeper holes for ventilation for workers. Such projects are unacceptable. We have two important lakes - Tulsi and Vihar - inside SGNP.’’

Bittu Sahgal, editor of Sanctuary Asia, said, “We are in the midst of a climate crisis. SGNP and the aquifers that feed Mumbai are irreplaceable assets. We have not yet seen the results of any geological survey to understand the impact of tunnelling and blasting on the Tulsi, Vihar and Powai lakes. With the rising sea levels, we also need to know the long-term effects of salinity ingress.”

SGNP, spread over 103 square kilometres, is the only national park in the county that survives amidst a city. It is home to nearly 40 leopards and many other animals, birds and reptiles.

A recent ecological survey by MMRDA has found the presence of 18 highly protected species in the alignment of Thane-Borivali Link Road. The 18 - eight species of mammals, three species of reptiles, and seven species of birds - are accorded the highest protection under the Wildlife Protection Act.

A senior MMRDA official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that they had received permission for the project.