09 April,2011 07:05 AM IST | | Ranjeet Jadhav
MMRDA promises 'speedy implementation' of project, but insiders say it may be months before construction begins and more delay means more money
CHIEF Minister Prithviraj Chavan's announcement in the assembly that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will construct the much-awaited Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) from Sewree to Nhava Sheva may have been welcome news for commuters, but the late approval of the project means it will now be costlier by Rs 75 crore, if not more.
"It will take us more than six months to invite tenders, and the process of awarding tenders will take up another six months," said an MMRDA official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "By that time the project cost will shoot up and the extra burden will be anywhere between Rs 75 crore and Rs 100 crore."
For a year the MTHL project had been in limbo as the government was yet to take a call on whether MMRDA or the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) would undertake the construction.
The reason for this indecision was the ongoing tussle between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Among the coalition partners, the Congress controls the MMRDA and the NCP holds the reins of the MSRDC.
Speaking to MiD DAY last year, a minister had even said that MSRDC stood a better chance of bagging the MTHL project as it had already obtained an environmental clearance, making the implementation of the project faster. Now, after bagging the project, the MMRDA says it will not waste any time in implementing it.u00a0
"We are completely prepared for the project and consultants will be appointed shortly to study the technical details, after which speedy implementation will be carried out," said MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawatakar.
MMRDA has also claimed for long that it can implement the project better than MSRDC as its financial condition is much better than the other government agency.
But an MMRDA official, who requested anonymity, said that implementing the project would not be as easy as it was being made to sound as there was a lengthy process involved before the construction begins.
"MMRDA will also have to approach the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the environmental clearance and I feel it will take at least six months as the ministry will study all aspects before giving the nod," said the official. "There is also a chance that it may take more than a year, which will indirectly increase the cost of the project."
Environmentalists speak
Ecologist and biologist Anand Pendharkar said, "Any infrastructure development that benefits the people is good but it should not be at the cost of the environment. The construction of MTHL will have an adverse impact on the environment and migratory birds which come to Sewree from European countries during winter."
Another environment expert, who did not wished to be named, said because of MTHL a section of mangroves would get affected on the Sewree side, which is a serious issue, and obtaining environment clearance for this will not be easy.
Did you know?
When completed, the bridge will be the fourth longest in the world after the 36-km Hangzhou Bay bridge (China), the 32-km Donghai Bridge (China) and the 26-km King Fahd Causeway linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
The Project
Name: Mumbai Trans Harbour Link
Implementing Agency: MMRDA
Cost: Rs 8,300 crore
Expected date of completion: After getting all clearances it will take more than five years to complete the project as construction activity will be carried out in the rough u00a0seas, making the task time-consuming.
MMRDA proposal on MTHL
Additional plans: The MMRDA had also proposed an eight-lane bridge along with a Metro rail corridor parallel to the sea link. There are chances that the price may increase further as u00a0MMRDA plans to add a 28-km-long road to the bridge between Nhawa and Khopoli that will connect to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Background
Planned in 1997, the MTHL project was estimated to cost u00a0Rs 4,000 crore. Technical and legal hassles led to delays and the project cost had escalated to Rs 8,300 crore in 2010. Though the MSRDC was the planning authority since 2004, the government gave the project to MMRDA in 2006 while making the MSRDC the executing authority. In November 2008, the Urban Development Department presented its report on both the authorities and the project to former chief minister Ashok Chavan.
Benefits of MTHL
> MTHL, a crucial infrastructure project that will connect Mumbai to Nhava Sheva (and on to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway) will cut travel time to 30 minutes from the present 90 minutes.
> With the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport getting clearance, the MTHL will be of great help to residents of the city who want to reach the new airport.
> The trans-harbour link will also boost development in the u00a0areas around Navi Mumbai, such as Chirle, Uran, JNPT and Raigad.
