Mumbai, Nov 2 (PTI) Union minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday that all major hurdles in the Mumbai Coastal Road project, planned to extend up to Virar in Palghar district, have been resolved and that work on it will begin soon.
The ambitious Coastal Road now runs from Marine Drive in south Mumbai to Worli, where it connects to the Bandra Worli Sea Link. In later phases, the road will be taken to Versova and then to Virar, which is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Once completed, the travel time from Nariman Point to Virar is expected to be reduced to just 35 to 40 minutes.
“All approvals related to the Coastal Road project, including land acquisition, transfer of saltpan lands, and clearances from the Coastal Regulation Zone, Environment Ministry, and Forest Department, have been secured,” said Goyal.
With these permissions in place, the project will now move ahead rapidly, said the Union Commerce Minister after chairing a high-level review meeting in Mumbai.
Goyal, who also represents the North Mumbai Lok Sabha seat, said he had been following up on the matter with both state and central departments to ensure progress.
“The project will benefit not only the residents of north Mumbai, but also the entire city and visiting tourists. Future extensions of the Coastal Road are planned up to Dahisar and Virar,” he said.
The meeting, which reviewed development works in North Mumbai, was attended by senior officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, district collectors of Thane and Mumbai Suburban, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, Public Works Department, and the police.
During the meeting, Goyal informed that work on the Madh-Versova Bridge had been expedited, while the Borivali-Thane tunnel project is expected to start within two months. To ease congestion on the Western Express Highway, he directed authorities to take urgent measures and enforce restrictions on heavy private vehicles.
He said 108 Metro construction vehicles and garbage transport trucks will be issued identifiable signboards, and strict action will be taken against unauthorised vehicles using fake municipal identifiers.
The central minister also said that three major traffic choke points on the highway have been identified and will soon be addressed.
He said ten lakes in North Mumbai will be rejuvenated through desilting, cleaning, and beautification under a public-private partnership model.
About complaints concerning water shortage in Gorai and Charkop, he said inspections of water pipelines have been carried out, and repairs and measures to improve water pressure are underway.
On sanitation, Goyal said 79 “pay and use” public toilets will soon be made operational, and their upkeep will be managed by private agencies.
The MP said he also asked officials of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority and the Mumbai civic body to blacklist developers who fail to hand over flats or occupancy certificates on time and to bar them from future projects.
Goyal told the officials present at the meeting to take strict legal action against encroachment and destruction of mangroves, including against truck drivers involved in illegal dumping or reclamation. He said municipal officers would be held accountable if garbage heaps were found in North Mumbai. PTI ND NR
Category: Breaking News
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