Mumbai gets waste-to-enery plant; viewing deck off Arabian Sea to open in 3 months

According to the plan, the plant constructed from CSR funds will generate 250-300 units of power everyday

Mumbai guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray on Friday inaugurated the city’s first waste-to-energy plant at Haji Ali that will generate electricity power from 2,000kg of waste. Thackeray also conducted the bhoomi pujan for the construction of a viewing deck at Girgaum Chowpatty. This deck will be built on an existing storm water drain outfall near Chowpatty.

Blueprint of the viewing gallery at Girgaum Chowpatty. (BMC)

According to the plan, the plant constructed from corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds will generate 250-300 units of power everyday that will be used by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for electrification of its public parks.

“The project is expected to generate about 250 to 300 units of electricity per day. Initially, the power will be used in a municipal park and a solid waste segregation centre. The project will result in partial savings in municipal electricity costs as well as savings in waste transportation costs,” BMC said in a statement.

Further, Thackeray also performed the groundbreaking ceremony for starting the construction of a 475 square metre viewing deck near Girgaum Chowpatty. The viewing gallery, named as ‘Darshak Gallery’, is being constructed from the tourism point of view.

“The gallery will be set up by taking into consideration the tides, altitudes and pressures from a scientific point of view. All the necessary permissions for the gallery have already been obtained and it is expected that the gallery will be up and running in the next three months,” the statement added.

BMC has planned a nature’s trail for tourism, a few metres away from this proposed gallery. According to the plan, citizens will get a 700-metre-long walkway at Malabar Hill in the next few months to get a bird’s eye-view of the Arabian Sea. The walkway will be located nearby Babulnath Temple and will wind through the hill forest, giving unobstructed scenic views of the Arabian Sea and the bustling city. The design for the forest trail at Malabar Hill is expected to be constructed without cutting any tree, considering the concept is to build in lush greenery.

Meanwhile, in the runner up of upcoming civic polls in February, politicians are on an inauguration spree. On Thursday, Thackeray inaugurated the beautification plan for Mahim beach. Under this plan, BMC undertook the cleaning of the beach, cleared heavy vehicles parked as well as hutments, filled up the beach with up to 5 feet of sand which was lost due to soil erosion, planted trees and set up pavements, garden furniture, a playing area and a 30-metre-high viewing tower for tourists, that gives a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea and the Bandra Worli sea link.