Your view of sea while travelling through the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) will be obstructed with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) deciding to install noise and vision barriers on around 6-km stretch of the total 22-km-long bridge due to presence of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and also due to movement of flamingo's and migratory birds at Sewri mudflats.
An MMRDA official said, "One can have a good view of the BARC while commuting through MTHL, crucial from the security point of view. Thus, vision barriers are being installed. We are installing noise barriers for flamingos and migratory birds so that disturbance that may arise due to traffic movement can be minimised."
A report prepared by MMRDA reads, "Appropriate action would be initiated for declaring silence zone for about 2km length of MTHL on Sewri side and near school/other sensitive receptors on Navi Mumbai side of MTHL. With the implementation of the mitigative measures proposed for air quality, the noise level can also be attenuated to acceptable limits by providing a barrier of the Sealink (bridge)."
Flamingos keep their date with the city every winter. The Sewri mudflat is a rich feeding ground for the 10,000 to 15,000 flamingoes which visit the site every year. The marshes at Sewri also support a large number of migratory birds which feed on a variety of marine life comprising crabs, fish and small invertebrates.
Further, due to the presence of BARC and two crucial ports namely Mumbai Port and JNPT, a security clearance has also been obtained for the contractors of MTHL wherein a Chinese firm bidding for MTHL was denied security clearance by the Union Home Ministry.
Meanwhile, construction work on MTHL will be undertaken 24 hours daily for the next four years and is expected to be ready for motorists by 2022. MTHL will also provide direct access to Navi Mumbai from Mumbai and will also connect the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) near Panvel which is under construction.
