Contrary to the apprehensions raised earlier by the Maharashtra Coastal Regulatory Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), the Public Works Department (PWD) has said that constructing a helipad near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial off Arabian Sea at Nariman Point won't prove risky for the memorial.
The MCZMA had earlier said that the helipad may affect the structural stability of the monument, but the PWD, who is executing the project, said that various studies were carried out and it was concluded that constructing the helipad won't prove dangerous.
However, the helipad will be built in the second phase of constructing the Shivaji Memorial, and not during phase one, the contract for which was recently awarded to L&T. Work for the first phase is expected to start soon.
Vinayak Mete, Chairman, Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial Committee, said, "The plan to construct a helipad near the Shivaji memorial is very much on the card. Studies were conducted by multiple agencies, which concluded that constructing the helipad is completely safe. All structures to be built on the reclaimed land will be designed accordingly."
A PWD official said, "The designs are all being considered accordingly and the construction of the helipad is on, too. It can not be scrapped, as it is very crucial from security point of view in terms of emergency that may arise due to choppy waters. Also, a committee appointed is currently studying the security measures that will have to be taken during and after the construction at the site mid-sea."
Shivaji Memorial is going to be the tallest statue in the world, with a height of 210 metres, and is expected to see around 3,000 visitors daily. It is located in Arabian Sea near Nariman Point at a distance of about 1 km. The total construction area for the memorial is 85,490 square metres and it will have five levels and a viewing gallery along with jetties and a helipad for entry and exit to the site mid-sea.
