Flamingos at Sewri not scared of Mumbai Trans Harbour Link work

Flocks of flamingos sighted at the Sewri mudflats

While it was feared that work on the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) would hamper the arrival of flamingos at the Sewri mudflats, quite the contrary has been observed. Huge flocks of flamingos were spotted near the project site by the MMRDA team, said Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Khandare.

In February this year, 50-year-old wildlife lover Pradip Patade, had expressed concern over the visit of these migratory birds owing to the construction work around the mudflats.

Another MMRDA official who was present during the recent visit said, "We have, at the onset of the project, assured that all necessary measures will be taken to prevent any disturbance to the birds' habitat and we are following it." Meanwhile, Metropolitan Commissioner R A Rajeev, who visited the MTHL site recently, has expressed satisfaction over the progress of its work.

According to MMRDA officials, work on the project began in March this year and is being implemented in three civil packages. While Package 1, which involves construction of a 10.38 km-long bridge section shows 12.28 per cent progress, Package 2 involving construction of 7.807 km-long bridge section shows 5.37 per cent progress and Package 3 involving construction of 3.613 km-long viaduct has recorded 5.4 per cent progress so far.

A total of 751 bore holes in marine and land area have been dug for geotechnical investigation and 11 per cent of the construction of the 2,900 meter-long temporary bridge has been achieved.

During the visit, the Metropolitan Commissioner also inaugurated the Reverse Circulation Drilling Rigs (RCDs) imported from Germany for speedy construction in the marine area. The entire project is expected to be completed and thrown open to the public by September 2022.

Also Read: Exclusive: Flamingos not ready to give Mumbai the pink slip yet

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates