Work begins on jetty near Bandra-Worli sea link

Mumbai: Work is on to build a jetty abutting the Bandra-Worli sea link. A dirt road has already been overlaid with tar.
Godfrey Pimenta, convenor of the NGO Watchdog Foundation, said work had begun in April. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had declined to identify locations for the jetties where raw material for construction of the coastal road will be unloaded. The BMC is expecting environmental clearance for the proposed coastal road by the month-end and wants to ensure work begins in October.The tender for the work on the coastal road from Marine Drive to Carter Road will be issued in June.
Municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta said the jetty near the sea link has environmental clearance so work of bringing in material for reclamation will begin from there.
“The navy has sent a proposal to the Centre seeking clearance for a navigation channel. We need one last clearance from the Maharashtra Maritime Board. The Coast Guard is also working on granting clearance for the channel,” said Mehta, adding that 90% material from quarries for reclamation will be brought by sea.
A second jetty will be constructed on a plot abutting Priyadarshni Park at Nepean Sea Road. The plot is jointly owned by the BMC and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The inlet for the tunnel-boring machine will be made there. The tunnel will come out near the Princess Street flyover on Marine Drive.
Consultants for BMC had identified Juhu, Ferry Wharf, Sewri, JNPT, Mora, Ulwe and the Sion-Panvel highway as other areas of operation of barges to transport material for the coastal road. BMC will bring material from quarries in Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Alibaug for the reclamation.