GMLR project: BMC to purchase compensatory plot for forest department

Civic officials say as the tunnel for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road will go under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, they don't need access to the land above

Despite opposing the forest department's demand for a compensatory plot of land for the one underneath which they built a tunnel as part of the Rs 400-crore Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally zeroed in on a 20-hectare (49-acre) one. The plot, however, is located far off in Chandrapur near Nagpur. The civic body is in the process of purchasing it.

Speaking to mid-day, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Vijay Singhal, said, "We are discussing the deal with the Chandrapur collector and will purchase the land possibly next week. It will then be handed over to the forest department as compensation."

Another official from the bridges department said the BMC selected the plot only after an approval from the forest department and the collector was working on its valuation. "We have sent a letter to the forest department informing them about the plot we have selected. The process of purchasing it started a couple of weeks ago and will be completed in the next 15 days," he said.

Earlier this year, when the forest department asked the BMC to provide a 49-acre plot as compensation for the land the tunnel would be built under, the civic body objected to the demand claiming that the tunnel would not disturb the forest or its inhabitants in any way. Former municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta had even written to the secretary of the State Forest Department, Vikas Kharge stating that afforestation compensation was not applicable for the GMLR project as per mining laws.

20
Area in hectares of BMC's compensatory plot

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