The state wants the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link sea bridge proposal to be expedited because of which a high-level meeting was held at New Delhi on Monday to sort out various issues delaying the project.
The 22-km long sea link project will connect Sewri with Nhava in Navi Mumbai.
"Various issues related to the the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link project were tabled and discussed, including getting permission from the ministry of environment and forest over the Sewri mudlfats that attract flamingoes. Financial closure, Mumbai Port Trust land issue and connection with planned Navi Mumbai International Airport, was also discussed," said an official.
The Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) was requested to expedite their loan processing time so that loan agreement can be signed and financial closure achieved. The idea is to complete Navi Mumbai International Airport and sea bridge at the same time as they are interlinked, by 2019.
"We sought to impress on them that the Navi Mumbai International Airport is on fast-track. Four major players have been short-listed and competitive bidding is on with physical work scheduled to start in 2016. The first phase of the project, which can handle up to 10 million passengers, is expected to be operational by 2019. If that happens but the trans-harbour link does not come up, there will be severe problems for passengers," Maharashtra chief secretary SS Kshatriya, who attended the meeting in the Prime Minister's Office, told dna. The meeting was also attended by MMRDA officials and representatives of the concerned departments.
This Rs11,000 crore project is likely to get 80 per cent funds as loan from JICA. At the moment, JICA is carrying out Environment Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment studies that is likely to take to take another couple of months followed by clearances from JICA management and then signing of the loan agreement.
Kshatriya said though the right of way (ROW) for the project on Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) lands was approved in-principle, the charges were yet to be finalised. "MbPT is ready to provide the land for around 50% of the price of ready reckoner rates as it is meant for the benefit of public," said another official who has been in the know of the meeting. The meeting also saw discussions on this issue. The 6-lane MTHL will have a 16.5km section in the sea and a 5.5km portion on land, which will pass through lands owned by the two ports.
The MTHL has been unsuccessfully bid out multiple times by the MSRDC and later the MMRDA in the past. ?The MTHL has seen studies and recommendations over three decades with the Nizamuddin Committee in 1972 recommending alternate routes. The JRD Tata committee in 1981 recommended that priority be given to the construction of a sea link between Sewri and Nhava. In 2004, the MSRDC finally called for pre- qualification bids for this regional development project which is expected to decongest Mumbai and boost growth in Raigad.?
?The alignment proposal for the MTHL was approved by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in January 1984, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) granted its no- objection certificate in 1998 and the environmental clearances were received in March 2005.
The bridge will be the longest sea bridge in India and the second in Maharashtra after the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL).?
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "flamingoes")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}