Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project delayed by six months

The 22km-long Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project has just got delayed by a minimum of six months. This delay is due to want of environment clearances that had got suspended after the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) recent decision.

As it aired earlier of challenging NGT decision in the Supreme Court, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has now begun the process to secure fresh clearances. In fact, it has also submitted its clarification notes to Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA). MCZMA is now expected to review the clarifications made and recommend to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

"Once it is recommended, the MoEF has to take a call about the project," said an MMRDA official, but only after the study is undertaken on the impact of this 22km-long bridge on the marine life, which will take a little less than six months.

"There are other formalities and documentations for the project that needs to be done before implementation, all this will happen simultaneously and should not affect the project timeline," added the MMRDA official.

The NGT had suspended MTHL's environment clearance citing that appropriate procedure was not followed and discrepancies in the area of marine areas that will be affected due to the project. According to the order, MoEF did not study the impact of this cable stayed project on marine life.

A month ago, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had stated that suspension of environmental clearance would mean a setback to the project by around six months.

The bridge will connect Sewri with Nhava near Chirle village and has an estimated cost of Rs11,000 crore, 80 per cent of the cost will be financed by JICA.