Central Park-themed garden gets consultant

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is close to appointing Tata Consulting Engineering Ltd to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for a park to be developed on 300 acres of land, which will be reclaimed off Cuffe Parade. The garden is said to have been conceived on the lines of New York City's famous Central Park.

A senior official from the garden department said the firm's appointment is in the final stage and needs only the standing committee's nod.

The BMC has proposed the park, off GD Somani Marg in Cuffe Parade, in Development Plan (DP) 2034. According to a civic official, the park will include a garden, playground and a play-area for children.

"It will include a jetty and waterway among other features," said the official.

Planned in 1970, it is believed that the recreational park will be biggest in the city. "It will be a green lung in South Mumbai, and is much needed in the area," said the civic official.

The consultant will prepare the DPR in the six months following the appointment. "The report will flesh out details like amenities and green cover," said the official.

In December, the BMC's standing committee had sanctioned Rs 147.5 lakh to the National Institute of Oceanography (NIOC) and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to conduct a six-month impact assessment study on the project. The two agencies will also look at ways to rehabilitate the fishing community, which has been opposing the project.

IMPACT STUDY

NIOC and NEERI will assess the impact of the project on SoBo’s geography and environment, and the livelihood of the fishing community in the area, a civic official said.