In what is a major relief for Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), construction work for the 22-km long Sewri-Nhava Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) will now be undertaken all through the night and even when flamingos flock to the Sewri mudflats during winters.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has given green signal to the state government for carrying out the construction work all through the night and throughout the year. Earlier, the MMRDA through the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) had requested the MoEF to allow the construction work during night hours and scrap the condition that work cannot be undertaken when flamingos flock to the mudflats.
Sanjay Khandare, Additional Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA, said: “We were informed last week that we can carry out work during the night hours and also when the flamingos arrive.”
The MMRDA had contended that if the construction work is not allowed during the flamingo season, they would be left only with three months in a year as monsoon covers three months and the rest of the months would go with flamingos flocking the mudflats.
“The restrictions would have resulted in delaying the project and in cost escalation,” said a MMRDA official.
Furthermore, the MoEF has not permitted any type of blasting for the construction of MTHL during night hours. However, MMRDA has said it would not need to carry any blasting activities.
An official from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), monitoring the impact on flamingos during construction of MTHL, said, “It is better MMRDA completes the work as early as possible, and leave from the area rather than carrying out work with restrictions for a longer period.”
The MTHL is a project that was proposed way back in 1980’s but was stuck due to environmental clearance. MTHL will provide direct access to Navi Mumbai from Mumbai and will also connect proposed International Airport.
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