Cuffe Parade park: Mumbai civic body asks two institutes to conduct sea, land impact studies

If the proposal is passed by the committee on Wednesday, the studies will take about two years to complete at a cost of Rs3.59 crore to the BMC

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) ambitious plan to build a 300-acre park in the Arabian sea, between Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade, by reclaiming the land may have gotten a step closer to reality.

The proposed park in Cuffe Parade, modelled on New York’s Central Park, will be 300 acres. (HT file photo)

The civic body has placed a proposal to the civic standing committee, seeking to appoint Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and Mumbai-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to conduct sea and land impact assessment studies for the project.

If the proposal is passed by the committee on Wednesday, the studies will take about two years to complete at a cost of Rs3.59 crore to the BMC.

The civic body had proposed to build a park through reclamation in Cuffe Parade, as a part of the development plan (DP) 2034. The proposed park, modelled on New York’s Central Park will be 300 acres.

The studies will be aimed at gauging the impact of reclamation on various aspects, such as the ecosystem of the Arabian sea, climate along the city’s coastline, traffic burden, air and noise pollution, residents’ lifestyles, and fisherfolk’s livelihoods.

While NIO will assess the impact on marine ecosystem, NEERI will conduct a terrestrial environment impact assessment.

READ: New York-style Central Park at Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade: BMC includes fishermen’s demands

The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), BMC has directed both organisations to work rapidly, as an impact assessment study is necessary to get the project cleared by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.

The study is planned in two phases: the first will be conducted prior to the 2018 monsoon cycle, and the second will be conducted during and after the 2018 monsoon cycle.

The civic body will appoint consultants to plan the construction of the park upon completion of the first phase. This will include identifying locations to create a jetty for fishermen and park over 3,000 fishing boats, conducting studies for landscaping of the park, and assessing the status of project-affected

Both organisations have previously conducted environment impact assessment studies for other projects in Mumbai.

NIO has conducted studies for the coastal road project and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Smarak, while NEERI has previously assisted on the civic body’s urban renewal scheme.