Mumbai gets step closer to decking up eastern waterfront

The MbPT has appointed Aecon, the consultant, at a cost of ₹5.40 crore, to provide a detailed plan for the open area by January-end.

The Mumbai Port Trust’s (MbPT) plan to turn around the city’s inaccessible port land into a tourist hub has got a step closer to reality. The port trust, which is the special planning authority (SPA) for beautifying 966.30 hectares (ha) along the city’s 28-km eastern waterfront, has appointed a consultant to prepare a draft plan for a 93-ha park and a 52-ha central garden abutting its plot near Haji Bunder.

Mumbai, India - July 20, 2014: Sewri, Mumbai, India on Sunday, July 20, 2014. (Photo by Kalpak Pathak / Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The MbPT plans to create the park by reclaiming the sea. It has appointed Aecon, the consultant, at a cost of ₹5.40 crore, to provide a detailed plan for the open area by January-end.

At present, MbPT is toying with many ideas for the 145-ha open space, including a cricket field or an artificial beach.

A planner associated with the project said Aecon will also rope in a team of international experts who have worked on Singapore’s ‘Gardens by the Bay’ to execute the central garden.

“The work orders were awarded in the first week of January and we are expecting a rough draft by January-end. The idea is to provide additional open spaces to citizens,” said Anupama Karanam, a senior planner from MbPT.

With the proposal for the 145-ha open space, MbPT claims to open up six-square metre (sq m) open space per person in the city, which is more than the four-sq m proposed by the civic body in its Development Plan (DP) 2034. It is also more than the current average of 1.24-sq m space per person that is available in the city. The plan finds a mention in MbPT’s DP for 966ha along the city’s eastern waterfront from Wadala to Sassoon Docks. The proposal, which is open for public scrutiny till January 26, also looks at unlocking 25-30ha as ‘themed streets’ along ideas such as Bollywood, Maharashtra, yoga, reading and food. The plan has also proposed public parks, plazas, promenades, walking trails and marinas.

City planners and experts have now convened a meeting on Monday to study the draft proposal and send their formal suggestions and objections to the port trust.