16 January,2014 12:08 PM IST | | Ranjeet Jadhav
Cabinet sub-committee, headed by the chief minister, cleared the 10-km-long sea bridge that will link the 2 suburbs; MSRDC can now invite tenders for the project
Four years after plans to link Versova with Bandra via a sealink were chalked out, the project has received a major boost. The cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure, headed by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, yesterday cleared the Bandra-Versova Sea Link (BVSL) proposal, paving the way for the implementing authority to invite tenders for the project.
The Sea Link has been planned and is being taken up by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), and has been awaiting clearance for long. Confirming the same, an MSRDC official, said, "At the cabinet sub-committee meeting on infrastructure that took place on Wednesday afternoon, the CM cleared the BVSL proposal. Now, we can go ahead and invite tenders for the construction of the sea link which will reduce commuting woes in the western suburbs."
The distance between Bandra and Versova is approximately 10.1 km and the project would cost anywhere between Rs 1,900 crore and Rs 3,000 crore, depending on the alternatives the authorities choose. The project has already received the environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), and hence there won't be much delay in the implementation of the project.
However, it is likely that the project will run into rough weather, as it is facing opposition from various residents and environmentalists in the Western suburbs. They feel that constructing the sea link would disturb the vital and sensitive coastal ecology, as well as the mangroves ecosystem. Besides, residents also claim that the scenic vistas and recreational areas would be disturbed due to the project.
Rs 1,900 cr - Rs 3,000 cr
The expected cost of the proposed Bandra-Versova Sea Link project
