Goregaon-Mulund link road project gets on hold as NBWL demands environmental impact report.

One of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s most ambitious projects the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR), has reached a roadblock with a report from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) seeking a municipal government to conduct an environmental impact assessment before, during and after the project’s completion. In February of this year, the NBWL had settled the GMLR proposal on the condition that the impact study is conducted, but the issue has come to an eye now. The BMC plans to change the original structure, as the road to the film city would be divided into two areas, is what further delaying the project.

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The municipal plans to build two 4.7-kilometre tunnels under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) as part of the project to prevent any impact on the forest. But because they went through an eco-sensitive area, four main clearances – MoEF, wildlife, forest and eco-sensitive zone were required. The expert review committee of the Environment Ministry asked the BMC to carry out an environmental impact assessment report for a year, and also a study on the effects of noise and vibration in October 2017. The EAC did, however, delisted the project by stating that roads were not part of the State National Highway and were part of the BMC DP.

A green signal had already been issued by the State Forest Department. On 25 February the NBWL also clarified the proposal provided that the environmental effect assessment will be carried out. The first study would take 12 months, and then the document will be sent to the Center. The work on the road begins one year later and then a two-year analysis will be done between the construction and a one-year post-completion study, approx 6 years it will take to conduct the study,” said a BMC official.

The BMC has forwarded the proposal to the Standing Committee. A study (worth 4.05 crore) on biodiversity will be conducted by the Bombay Natural History Society and its impact during the tunnel construction period and after starting the vehicular movement. The change in the strategy is another challenge facing the company. Since the path would divide the film city road, the BMC is planning to build a tunnel to connect the GMLR.