Mumbai: Versova-Bandra sea link better alternative for western residents but opposed

Although the Versova-Bandra Sea Link seems to be a better option for the western suburban residents and environment groups opposing the Coastal Road plan, they are against the alternative plan as well.

Darryl D'Monte from Apna Mumbai Abhiyan (a coalition of NGOs and Residents' Associations across the city), who are giving a stiff fight to not allow construction of the Coastal Road on the city's western front, opined that having a sea bridge is undoubtedly a better alternative, but at the same moment they do not want the sea link plan to come up.

According to him, having a Coastal Road or a sea link will only mean supporting more of private vehicle users and the city requires mass transit systems and not roads that will allow to add more vehicles in an already congested city. "It means that the project is conceptualised only for 2.5 per cent of the population who are motorists. Roughly 1,25,000 cars were supposed to use the Bandra Worli Sea Link daily, but only some 45,000 cars use it," added the coalition team.

Another coalition supporter Sumaira Abdulali, an anti-noise activist, shared with dna that she too opposes the Rs5,975 crore sea link plan, though she feels it is a better alternative.

"During certain months, fresh air from the Arabian Sea flows towards a polluted Mumbai, while during other months the polluted air flows out towards the sea. If you have a sea link, you are stopping this smooth flow and having a choke point at its entrance. This will only mean further polluting the city. Moreover, tidal patterns too would change due to a sea link, affecting Mumbai's coastline," added Abdulali.
On Thursday, dna had reported about the state authorities reviving its 10km long sea link plan only to bridge Bandra and Versova instead of the approved Coastal Road proposal.

COASTAL ROAD PLAN BETWEEN BANDRA-VERSOVA

From Bandra Reclamation, an interchange-cum-reclaimed road will take motorists to St. Andrew's Church / Chimbai Village, from here there will be another bridge of 550mtrs in length up to Otter's Club at Carter Road. Along the Carter Road, the Coastal Road is planned on stilts followed by undersea cut and cover construction for a tunnel in front of Khar Danda fishing village right up to Juhu Moragaon. Thereafter, ramp portion over the mouth of Juhu Nala will come on stilts over mangroves at Versova, finally landing outside Nana-Nani Park in Versova on stilts.

SEA LINK ALIGNMENT

The Versova-Bandra Sea Link will be 1,200mtrs into the Arabian Sea from the coast at Juhu Beach, thereby not affecting tourism activity. The link can start either at Bandra Reclamation or near St. Andrew's Church and land next to Nana-Nani Park at Versova (Seven Bungalows).
In January 2013, Versova Bandra Sea Link had received Coastal Regulation Zone clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. Now the MSRDC has initiated the process to obtain Environment Clearance.