With its proposal seeking environmental clearance for the ambitious coastal road project pending before the centre, the BMC has assured the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) that it will not allow real estate projects to come up that defy existing CRZ norms, along the road.
Why is the multi-crore project being considered?
It is being considered to expedite vehicular movement through the western suburbs, connecting South Mumbai to Kandivli. Given the road will take shape along the coastal line, and may even require land to be reclaimed for laying lanes, or pass through mangroves, the corporation has been requesting the MoEF to give its nod.
What do existing CRZ norms specify?
As per the norms, construction activity is restricted up to 500 metres from the sea's high tide line. Once the road takes shape, with lanes and promenade added along the coast line, the distance between seafront and area up to which construction activities are permitted presently, will increase.
This possibility was likely to leave scope for availing space for construction activities. The corporation however, has assured the government that it will stick to the existing line up to which development is allowed, even as distance towards the sea increases once the road is built.
Waiting for green signal from Centre
A civic official said: "During a meeting with CM Devendra Fadnavis and union environment minister Prakash Javadekar recently, we were asked if constructing the road would mean removing applicability of CRZ norms. However, we assured them that whatever construction activity will take place; it will be permitted considering the existing line upto which development is allowed. This line will not be breached."
He added that the BMC hoped to procure the required nod in the wake of the centre clearing projects to construct King Shivaji's statue in the Arabian Sea.
What options are the BMC considering for constructing the arterial road?
The proposed 35.6-km road stretches between South Mumbai and Kandivli. The BMC is considering two options mainly for constructing the arterial road. The first includes reclamation in sea, while the other proposes to have road on stilt through mangroves patches in areas like Bandra.
The first option will cost Rs8,000 crore, while the second is set to cost Rs1,000 more.
What has the BMC kept as target?
The official informed that the BMC collected Rs3,500 crore in the form of premium recovered, in lieu of fungible FSI to fund the road development. The civic body has kept a target of garnering Rs2,000 crore in a fiscal, dependent of the number of projects undertaken by city developers annually.
Support from NAREDCO
Sunil Mantri, president of National Real Estate Development Council supported the official's views, saying: "The road will require certain area to be reclaimed in the sea. We agree that the stretch should not be commercially exploited. If the government wants to develop recreational space for people, we welcome the decision. This road will be crucial, in view of freeing western suburbs, if the plan is executed in compliance with environmental norms."
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