BMC wants NIO to study project’s impact on waves

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to appoint the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) to study the impact of its coastal road project on tidal wave patterns.

The proposal will be tabled before the civic standing committee on Wednesday.

Experts from NIO will also study whether the proposed road, estimated to cost ₹12,721 crore, will be able to handle natural disasters. As per the proposal, BMC will spend ₹7.33 crore on the study.

“Experts will be appointed to study wave analysis, hydrology, storm surge and tsunami. This will be included in the parameters of the study. There are 12 spots on the phase-one stretch of the coastal road that will be inspected by experts for signs of marine damage,” said a senior civic official.

The experts will conduct the study every six months and submit a report to the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF).

While approving the plan for the coastal road project, the MOEF had set conditions, including studying the impact of road construction on tidal behaviour and developing a marine biodiversity conservation plan. BMC is slated to spend ₹55 lakh on developing the plan.

A civic official said that MOEF had recommended that 2% of the project’s total cost, should be deposited to groups such as the Mangrove Foundation of Maharashtra for conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity.

BMC had sought two separate clearances for the proposed coastal road, extending from Princess Street flyover to Kandivli. Work on the first phase, from the flyover to the south end of the Bandra-worli sea link, has begun.

Work on the 9.98-km stretch has been further divided into three portions: from Princess Street flyover to Priyadarshani Udyan, from Priyadarshani Udyan to Baroda Palace, and from Baroda Palace to Bandraworli seaface.