CIDCO to construct coastal highway to connect MTHL and Navi Mumbai intl airport

CIDCO will construct a coastal highway in Navi Mumbai to connect the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. The project will cost over ₹700 crore and will take 24 months to complete. However, it will result in the destruction of 3,728 mangroves and 196 trees.

Navi Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai town planning authority — City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) — will soon construct a coastal highway from Amra Marg to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in order to provide smooth connectivity to Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is expected to be ready by December 2024.

Joint managing director of CIDCO Kailash Shinde said it will take at least 24 months for the project to be constructed. “The highway will stretch across seven kilometres and will connect the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) to the upcoming airport. The coastal highway will cost over ₹700 crore,’’ Shinde said.

The coastal highway project was sanctioned by Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) in its meeting held on August 10, 2023. Minutes of the meeting were uploaded last week. The project will, however, lead to the destruction of 3,728 mangroves and 196 trees.

On August 9, 2019, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority letter granted the CRZ clearance to the project and CIDCO approached Mumbai High Court seeking approval of the High Court for cutting of mangroves.

On April 25 this year, The high court asked CIDCO to seek fresh clearances issued following order wherein CIDCO has been directed to seek fresh clearances from MCZMA / SEIAA and the matter was considered in MCZMA meeting on May 18, 2023.

The CIDCO gave a letter to MCZMA on July 10 and submitted a fresh proposal with an environment assessment report.

As per the EIA report, the alignment involves 194 number of trees and 3728 number of mangroves. The Alignment does not involve any commercial navigational route or fishing ground.

The MCZMA discussed the impact of the project on the mangroves and suggested that adequate measures shall be taken to ensure that the proposed road will have minimum footprint on the mangrove area. The CIDCO officials presented that the coastal road is proposed on stilts ensuring minimum footprint on the mangrove area. Mangrove replantation will be undertaken in consultation with Mangrove Cell. All necessary permission from various statutory authorities including Prior High Court permission will be obtained for the cutting of mangroves, the minutes of MCZMA meeting said.

CIDCO has also said that the coastal highway is an important public infrastructure project for Navi Mumbai which will connect the proposed MTHL link to the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). This will help in the dispersal of traffic around the Navi Mumbai Airport site.

The MCZMA said that the proposed road is part of the Development Plan of the Navi Mumbai and is proposed on stilts. However, as presented by CIDCO, certain elements of the coastal road like embankments are on the surface i.e. will be constructed by reclamation. However, considering the impact of the project on the surrounding coastal environment, it is the responsibility of the CIDCO to take all possible measures and proactively implement the mitigation measures along with the Environment Management Plan in order to lessen the impact on local coastal ecology, according to the minutes.

Spacing between the pillars/ piers of Coastal Road should be provided taking into consideration the free flow of the tidal water is not obstructed.

Mangrove plantation should be carried out in consultation with Mangrove Cell. Three times the number of mangroves destroyed or cut during the construction process shall be replanted.

CIDCO said the proposed UCR is a six-lane divided road which starts from Aamra Marg after the Panvel Creek Bridge running along the coast of Ulwe node and connects with MTHL at Shivaji Nagar. The length of the coastal road is 5.8 km and an airport link of about 1.2 Km.

CIDCO has said that the project basically is the first dispersal of traffic on the upcoming Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and will act as an entry to Navi Mumbai from Mumbai (Mainland) side. The proposed Ulwe coastal road plays a vital role as it is linking the proposed MTHL link to the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) by significant travel time for commuters between the island city and NMIA. This will reduce the operating costs of vehicles due to lesser congestion.

CIDCO officials stated that the coastal road proposed from Amra Marg to JNPT at Ulwe Node is proposed on stilts. However, certain elements of the coastal road like embankments are on the surface i.e will be constructed by reclamation.