Navghar-Chirner corridor: Panel suggest Term of reference

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has received a big fillip as the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has recommended to the ministry of environment and forests the Rs 19225.73 crore Multimodal Corridor from Navghar to Chirner (near JNPT) for the grant of term of reference (ToR). EAC has recommended that MMRDA will have to carry out environment impact assessment and environment management plan.

The 85 km multimodal corridor is a single corridor in which multiple modes, such as, buses, bus rapid transit, metro rail and cars, along with utilities such as water, sewage and gas lines will be present along the same Right of Way.

MMRDA officer told DNA,'' Loan is being tied with the multilateral organisations including the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The project needs 725 hectare of non forest and 75.13 hectare of reserved forest and mangrove cover is required. MMRDA hopes to complete land acquisition by December. After acquiring all approvals and loan, the project ia expected to be complete in five years.'' He informed that the corridor will benefit 10 growth areas and uplift the standard of 3.5 million people by 2041.

MMRDA will have to comply with 15 conditions laid down by EAC to proceed further. MMRDA will have to provide uninterrupted wildlife corridor between Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, prepare Mangrove Conservation Plan and formulate the Coastal Biodiversity Conservation Plan and carry out detailed traffic study to assess inflow of traffic from adjoining areas.

This corridor would also be useful for the development of upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, JNPT Port, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link. The official said that the corridor would carry all the traffic from JNPT towards Navi Mumbai and Thane to outside in order to reduce traffic congestion.

TO BE NOTED

• MMRDA will have to provide measures to avoid road kills of wildlife by way of road kill management plan and the tree cutting would have to be kept a bare minimum
• MMRDA has estimated that 5,135 trees are likely to be affected to the project development