December 20, 2017

 

Thane: The city municipal corporation wants to fast track its ambitious six-lane speed corridor between Mulund and Gaimukh and has accordingly moved a proposal before its general body seeking approval to depute a consultant. The move is despite stiff opposition from green activists to the nearly 14-km long corridor also referred to as the foothill road that will bypass Thane city cutting into swathes of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

The approximately Rs 800 crore worth road link will also have a 407m-long tunnel skirting Yeoor forests that has drawn the ire of environmentalists as this is the third proposal attempting to infiltrate SGNP after Thane-Borivli ropeway and Goregaon-Mulund Link Road.

Meanwhile, the administration has justified the project saying it would ease congestion in Thane city and also claimed that the consultant was being hired to suggest moves to minimise impact on the green cover and seek required environmental clearances.

"We are in the process of hiring a consultant who will guide us with steps to be taken to counter any ill effects on the environment. A proposal for hiring a project advisor has been put up for an approval by the general body on Wednesday," said an official requesting anonymity.

As per plans, the road will connect the northern-most tip of Mulund at Shrinagar off LBS Road with the outskirts of Thane city at Gaimukh on Ghodbunder Road. It will have a 407metre-long tunnel near Upvan lake skirting the Yeoor forests, said an official.

The corridor, say officials, could cut down the congestion in Thane city especially the highways, which sees heavy freight traffic heading to the Mumbai ports or the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Navi Mumbai.

The road link is likely to save 45 minutes of travel time for motorists who now spend nearly 1.25 hours to cover the 20km stretch passing through Eastern Express highway and Ghdobunder Road overlapping with intra-city and Nashik-bound traffic.

A detailed presentation on the project and its social impact was made by Thane municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal before Union minister of surface transport Nitin Gadkari this year, following which the TMC was given a go-ahead to prepare a feasibility report.

Gadkari has apparently promised financial aid for the project if the civic body is successful in getting required environmental approvals due to which TMC is working over time to get the basics ready in time, explained an official.

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Source: timesofindia.com