Coastal roads: Ball now in Centre’s court

The central environment ministry will have to make a concession for Mumbai, like it did for the Navi Mumbai airport, for the coastal road project. Ketaki Ghoge reports.

The central environment ministry will have to make a concession for Mumbai, like it did for the Navi Mumbai airport, for the coastal road project.

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The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has proposed coastal roads to be built partly on stilts and partly by reclaiming land. This would be less expensive and safer than sea links, government officials said. There have been concerns over the security of sea links after the 2008 terror strikes.

State environment secretary Valsa Nair Singh said that the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority has sought an in-principal approval for the project. Once the environment ministry clears the proposal, it will give the MSRDC the terms of reference and ask it to for an environment impact assessment appraisal and a project report.

The MSRDC has proposed a 3.3-km coastal road by reclaiming land 50 to 60 metres into the sea from Priyadarshani building at Worli to Samudra Mahal building near Haji Ali.

The MSRDC will then build a sea bridge on stilts from behind Haji Ali to Mahalaxmi temple. There will be another coastal road from the temple to Priyadarshani Park at Napean Sea Road.