Pier construction begins for Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road as BMC awaits final clearances

Full-scale construction is expected to begin by the end of September, once the state mangrove cell grants the remaining environmental clearances, officials said.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun constructing piers in Dindoshi and Goregaon, along with other preliminary work in areas that don’t fall under Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZs), for the ambitious Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road project.

Pier construction begins for Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road as BMC awaits final clearances

Full-scale construction is expected to begin by the end of September, once the state mangrove cell grants the remaining environmental clearances, officials said.

The 27-kilometre coastal road, designed for a speed limit of 100 kmph, is expected to significantly cut road travel time between Versova and Bhayandar to just 15 minutes. The project is also expected to enhance east-west connectivity by linking with the proposed Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR), which aims to connect the Western and Eastern Express Highways.

However, a large portion of the coastal road will go through mangrove land and CRZ areas, for which the BMC requires multiple environmental permissions. For now, work has commenced in non-CRZ areas, confirmed a civic official from the BMC’s coastal road department.

The northbound phase of the coastal road, from Versova in the western suburbs to the satellite city of Bhayandar, will have infrastructure such as double-decker elevated roads, a road on stilts, a cable-stayed bridge, and a cut-and-cover tunnel running beneath the Manori Creek, much of which will be in CRZ areas. While a 1.2-km stretch in Goregaon lies outside the CRZ, a majority of the project runs through sensitive mangrove and creek areas.

Earlier this month, the BMC secured stage 1 approval from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for the diversion of mangrove forest land. “On the CRZ portion, the part that goes through mangroves from Versova to Bhayander, we have submitted documents in the Bombay High Court and got stage 1 permission. We have acquired 75% of the land from the collector, and it is in our possession,” said the official quoted earlier.

“As soon as we get stage 2 permission from the mangrove cell, we expect to commence full-fledged work by September end, when major activity on the Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road project will begin. The maximum portion of the coastal road goes through mangrove land, and we have got permission from the Centre. We have moved the high court for further permission, after which we bought alternate land in Chandrapur,” the official added.

Residents and activists have previously opposed the project due to concerns about environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, the undermining of sustainable public transport solutions, and the livelihoods of the city’s traditional fishing communities.