Latest news with #GMLR
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
BMC revives multi-modal tunnel project, to cost Rs 4,392 crore
Over a year since the plan was mooted, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revived its ambitious multi-modal tunnel connectivity project which is estimated to cost a whopping Rs 4,392 crore. Eyeing to prepare a layout for the project, the civic body has floated afresh a tender, inviting consultants to prepare a feasibility report and master plan for a tunnel network across the region. Aimed at decongesting the city's traffic as well as boosting connectivity across Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the 'multi-modal' plan seeks to introduce a new layer of transport network in the MMR in the way of a network of tunnels. It was in October 2023 that the Maharashtra government had formed an eight-member committee to chalk out the master plan for this smart tunnel network to ease connectivity in the region, taking into consideration the MMR's growth in the next 30 years. Earlier in February 2024, the civic body had first floated tenders to rope in consultants to chalk out a master plan to implement the project. However, the tender drew feeble responses from the bidders while the process also faced lags owing to technical challenges. Bringing the project back on the drawing the board, the civic body this month floated a fresh tender to appoint a project management consultant to conduct a feasibility study, prepare a master plan project report, overlook the bidding process as well as carry out supervision during the course of the construction. As per initial estimates, the project is slated to cost the civic body Rs 4,392 crore, with each six-km tunnel proposed to cost Rs 732 crore. According to officials from the BMC, the consultants will be tasked with conducting traffic studies, gauging the feasibility studies as well as preparing a design for the layout of tunnel network. 'The project is aimed at creating a significant master plan for connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. In the past one year, the process has been prolonged owing to some technical lags as well as the term clauses. Now, in the fresh tender, we have called for consultants who can carry out the analysis of high traffic area, check feasibility, finalise the locations as well as prepare designs for the tunnel network,' said a civic official. Considering the scale of the project, the civic body has said that only consultants who have had experiences of working of projects valued at least Rs 5,000 crore and having developed either an eight-km long tunnel or two five-km long tunnels with a minimum width of five metres over the past ten years will be eligible for the bidding. Furthermore, the consultant will also be required to have experience of working with tunnel boring machine (TBM) technology and on the twin decker design. Despite the revival, sources in BMC alluded that the project has remained on the backburner owing to concerns of increased vehicular congestion. 'Currently, the city is already witnessing a large number of big-ticket projects ranging from GMLR, Madh-Versova project, second phase of coastal road among others. With so many projects underway, there have been some concerns over the practicality of the traffic studies now and the possibility of increased traffic woes,' said a source.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Centre approves SGNP land for GMLR, project deadline is 2028
Mumbai: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has granted final approval for the "diversion" (as BMC terms it in a press release) of 19.43 hectares of forest land in Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to the BMC for the construction of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) underground tunnel. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Work on the 4.7-km-long and 45.7-metre-wide twin tunnels, part of Phase 3 of the GMLR project, is expected to accelerate now. The tunnels will pass beneath SGNP in Borivli, connecting the eastern and western suburbs, easing traffic. Civic officials confirmed that shaft excavation for launching the tunnel boring machine (TBM) is underway at Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in Goregaon. "Some TBM components have already arrived at the port. It will take about six months to assemble and launch the machine, which will operate at depths ranging from 20 to 150 metres," an official said. The twin tunnels will be connected at intervals of 300 metres. They will feature modern features including advanced lighting, ventilation, fire safety systems, CCTV surveillance, and control rooms at both ends. Provisions for stormwater drainage and potential water pipelines have also been incorporated. According to BMC estimates, the project is slated for completion by Nov 2028. Once operational, it will reduce the travel time between the city's eastern and western suburbs from 75 minutes to just 25 minutes. Compared to the existing Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), the new link will shorten the travel distance by around km. Additional commissioner (projects) Abhijit Bangar highlighted the project's role in decongesting northern Mumbai. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Because the tunnel route passes beneath SGNP, prior approval from the central government was required. After an in-depth review, the green ministry granted in-principle clearance in Jan 2024. Final approval was issued on Tuesday, allowing the formal transfer of forest land. The BMC has since begun implementing the stipulated conditions and compliance measures. Although the land has been transferred under Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, its legal status remains classified as forest land. Importantly, the tunnel will begin and end outside the boundaries of SGNP, ensuring no direct impact on the park's surface or trees. All environmental safeguards recommended by the state govt will be enforced, said an official. To offset the diversion of forest land, an afforestation plan is underway. BMC will plant trees on 19.5 hectares of non-forest land in Chandrapur district -- 14.95 hectares in Vasanvihira village and 4.55 hectares in Gondmohadi village.
Indian Express
02-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
GMLR twin tunnel: Centre grants final nod for diversion of SGNP forest land to BMC
Over a year since procuring the in-principle (Stage I) approval, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) on Tuesday granted the final approval for diversion of 19.43 hectares of forest land at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The clearance has now paved the way for the construction of the twin tunnels, which is being developed within the ambit of the ambitious Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project. Pegged at a cost of nearly Rs 6500, the GMRL is an ambitious project which aims to alleviate congestion by linking Goregaon in the western suburbs to Mulund in the eastern suburbs. A crucial part of the GMLR project are the 6.65-km long twin tunnels which will start from the Film City in the western suburbs and open near Mulund's Amar Junction, which currently houses a huge slum pocket. The GMLR tunnels will surpass beneath the SGNP, covering a complex topography of hillocks, forest and farmlands. With the project slated to be constructed through the protected forest lands of SGNP, the state government had sought the Union ministry's approval. Earlier on January 2, 2024, the MOEFCC granted the in-principle clearances for the proposal after examination. On Tuesday, the Union ministry granted the final approval for the diversion of 19.43 hectares of reserves forest area to the BMC under the section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. Stage I (in-principle) approval from the central government is the first step towards diverting forest land for non-forest purposes, followed by Stage II clearances. Officials maintained that even as the land parcel has been transferred to the civic body, it continues to hold the legal status of forest land. With the tunnel raking under the SGNP — at a depth of 20 to 160 metres — no trees are expected to be impacted during the course of the project construction. Meanwhile, the civic body has prepared an alternative afforestation plan as per the Forest Act. For the total forest land acquired, over 19.5 hectares of non-forest area in Chandrapur district will undergo plantation and maintenance. Being tucked in an ecologically sensitive zone, the GMLR project has also undergone a slew of studies ranging including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), environmental, biological studies by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) etc. as well as engineering, geotechnical studies. Since the tunnel is aligned between the Tulsi and Vehar lakes, the project has also undergone hydrological studies. Upon completion, the GMLR project is projected to be estimated to reduce the travel time between the eastern and western suburbs from 75 minutes to 25 minutes. The project is estimated to be completed by October 2028.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
BMC's Tree Authority seeks Supreme Court approval to cut trees for Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project in Mumbai
Mumbai: BMC's Tree Authority (TA) filed an application with Supreme Court seeking directions to fell 1,134 trees in Film City for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project. Pointing out that in Jan, SC had directed that no tree could be cut in Aarey without its permission, the Tree Authority submitted that while the project falls in Aarey village, it is not in the Aarey Milk Colony. The GMLR project envisages developing road connectivity from Western Express Highway to Eastern Express Highway to reduce travel time by almost an hour between Mulund and Goregaon. The trees to be felled are for the 6.2km twin tunnels, which are part of the 5.3km GMLR between Film City, Goregaon, and Khindipada (Amar Nagar), Mulund. "The project involves development of a road through a tunnel to preserve the green space on the ground," stated the Tree Authority, while seeking permission to cut the trees. The Authority informed that Tunnel Boring Machines and launching of shaft work were crucial for the tunnel works. "For digging the pit structure, it is required to clear ground space and, in the process, a certain number of trees are required to be felled," the application read. Furthermore, the shifting of the launching shaft location resulted in an increase in the number of trees to be felled by 40. The shaft was shifted to avoid the relocation of a tribal hamlet, Habalepada. The excavation would require the felling of 95 trees, and the authority requested permission to fell these trees in phase I. It also submitted a letter from the Aarey Colony chief executive officer stating that the tunnels do not fall within the area of the Aarey Dairy Development department. "It is reiterated that the land under consideration for the GMLR project does not fall under the Aarey Colony, however as a matter of abundant caution and in due deference to the orders passed by this court, the applicant has filed the present application seeking leave of this court to proceed with felling of 95 trees in the first phase and seeks liberty to approach this court for the felling of trees in the second phase keeping in mind the requirement for the said public project," said the Tree Authority in its application.
