They will be removed to allow for building of the Rs 11,000-crore coastal road; some of them will be re-installed later. BMC to seek international expertise to minimise damage to seafront
In an indication that the city will get the coastal road, the BMC announced that it will seek international expertise to dislodge some of the cement tetrapods installed at Marine Drive, Haji Ali and Worli Seaface to facilitate work on this road. Civic officials monitoring the coastal road project said the number of pods dislodged would depend on the alignment required for the 33.2-km road stretching from Nariman Point to Kandivli. The road plan still needs the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) authority's nod, but the BMC is preparing the ground for when it finally comes.
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Conditional nod
Mumbai's tetrapods were installed by the state Public Works Department (PWD) between 1998 and 2004 as wave breakers to stop erosion of the coastline. The BMC, which had sought the PWD's permission to remove the pods, last month received a conditional nod – it would be responsible for any damage during removal and reinstallation and the work would have to be supervised by engineers with technical expertise in coastal work and design.
Sanjay Mukherjee, additional municipal commissioner (special projects), said, "Our aim is to remove the minimum number of tetrapods. We are seeking international expertise to ensure that there is no damage to the pods, the environment or the seafront during removal and reinstallation." The BMC is still working on a location for where the tetrapods will be temporarily shifted, officials said.
Coastal road plan
The civic body's ambitious coastal road plan is aimed at easing traffic on the Western Express Highway. The erstwhile Congress-NCP-led Democratic Front government, under the leadership of then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had conceptualised the coastal road as a solution to the city's traffic congestion problem. But, the project gathered momentum and got speedy approvals after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pursued the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The civic body has received no objection certificates from defence agencies and the PWD. The only clearance remaining is that of the CRZ [fromUnion Ministry of Environment and Forest]. Work will begin as soon as this nod is received," Mukherjee said.
Nariman Point to Mira Road
While the BMC had initially planned the road from Nariman Point to Kandivli at a cost of around Rs 11,000 crore, this is likely to go up by Rs 2,000 crore as the empowered committee of the Mumbai Transformation Support Unit (MTSU) has asked BMC to extend the project up to Mira Road. "The average per kilometre construction for the coastal road project is pegged at Rs 450 crore," a senior BMC official said.
1998
Year city got its first lot of tetrapods
6,500
Tetrapods at Marine Drive alone
Rs 5,000
Approx cost per tetrapod
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