The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on Wednesday appealed to the MMRDA to change the alignment of Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project, to save the Sewri mudflats
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on Wednesday appealed to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to change the alignment of Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project, to save the Sewri mudflats, the habitat of lakhs of waders and flamingos and one of the most eco-sensitive places in the world.
Dr Asad Rahmani, BNHS director, revealed that the NGO had submitted the plan for realignment of MTHL almost six years ago to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the government body which was to execute the project initially. The project, which will link Sewri to Nhava-Sheva port, is expected to cost around Rs8,311 crore, was transferred to MMRDA, a year ago.
“If the current MTHL plan goes ahead, it will put in jeopardy the habitats of flamingos and other waders which migrate to Mumbai annually. We aren’t against the project, but as per our proposal, the starting point of MTHL can be shifted 700m south to the current starting point, thus saving the habitat,” said Rahmani.
At the meeting called at its Hornbill House headquarters, BNHS has also demanded the reworking of the project’s environment impact assessment (EIA). “As per our knowledge, there is no EIA report of the project in public domain. Apparently, we were told that the EIA study was done around 15 years ago, which is of no use now. Hence, a complete new EIA study,” said Deepak Apte of BNHS. Rahmani, also a committee member of the ministry of environment and forests, said he will raise the issue before the ministry if the state government and the MMRDA don’t accept the BNHS demands.
Responding to the BNHS activists’ demands on saving the Sewri mudflats, Asthana said there was no change in the alignment originally designed by the MSRDC. Even as Asthana was “sure the alignment has already taken care of the mudflats which attract the wader population every year”, he said MMRDA will hold talks with BNHS in future. “MMRDA is open to any practical suggestion made by those serious about the implementation of the project,” he added.
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