Under, not over, says SoBo

Last week, resident organisations brainstormed with an architect-town planner to suggest an alternative at Monday's public hearing on the contentious Peddar Road flyover

A slice of residents of SoBo, as South Mumbai is called, came together at a meeting on July 13 at Riyazat Hall ensconced within the picturesque Priyadarshini Park at Napean Sea Road, for a brainstorming session on an alternative to the controversial Peddar Road Viaduct, a flyover that is expected to ease North-South bound traffic.


Architect Ratan Batliboi illustrates at the Wednesday meeting, what he
believes is a viable alternate to the contentious flyover. Pics/Bipin Kokate

Participants hoped to reach a consensus before they could speak in one voice, offer their concerns and suggest their alternative at a public hearing on the issue called by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board on July 18 at 3 pm at the Institute of Engineers, Haji Ali.


Before and after: Most residents believe the flyover will turn into an
eyesore, ruining the visual appeal of South Mumbai's skyline

A notice published in newspapers announcing the hearing, says: "The public hearing is to be conducted from the environmental angle about the proposed project. All persons, including bonafide residents, environmental groups and others likely to be affected can participate in the public hearing."

Besides raising environmental concerns, several of which architect Ratan Batliboi of Ratan J Batliboi Consultants Pvt. Ltd., illustrated through a power point presentation at last Wednesday's meeting, Batliboi suggested what he believes is a viable alternative to the contentious flyover.

An underground tunnel running from Haji Ali to Chowpatty, or Marine Drive is the plan he deconstructed for representatives of residents' organisations from Babulnath, Napean Sea Road, Altamount Road, Carmichael Road and Malabar Hill.

Batliboi called the tunnel "a simple and clean alternative." His presentation looked at two tunnels -- the Oresund Tunnel that runs from Denmark to Sweden, and the SMART tunnel in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) -- to bolster his argument about tunnels being looked at as the new global alternative in traffic management solutions.u00a0u00a0

Former Additional Solicitor General of India, BA Desai, who was present at the meeting, was especially concerned about the proposed flyover ruining the "ambience, including that of the stunning Queen's Necklace along Marine Drive. It would also spoil the view of beautiful buildings like Wilson College and the Chowpatty beach."

Carmichael Road resident Dilnar Chichgar said, "People must care enough to attend the meeting and voice their concern. The tunnel sounds like a good alternative. The flyover looks like it will be a disaster; imagine a structure nearly five storeys high, just a little away from residential buildings. So many lives will be adversely affected because of this."

Babulnath's Kishore Kuvavala echoed Chichgar's opinion, when he said, "We must go and present our point of view, whatever the outcome of the meeting." Geeta Mirchandani, chairperson of the Napean Sea Road Citizens Association, said, "I thought the tunnel is a good alternative, although I would also look at the possibility of a coastal road, or a parallel road, hugging the sea."

Why they have a problem with the flyover

Members of various residents' associations raised objections to the flyover, and plan on documenting them in a report that they will submit to civic authorities at Monday's meeting. An overview:

The Peddar Road Viaduct will disrupt the visual beauty of South Mumbai. It is a technologically established fact that transport tunnels are better than flyovers, and the world over, a change to tunnels is taking place.

Environmental degradation will occur at Chowpatty. Beautiful buildings will be blocked from view by an ugly eyesore of a flyover.

The Peddar Road flyover proposal was earlier rejected by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, particularly because it encroached on the historic heritage of Chowpatty. It is surprising that it has accepted the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) proposal on the basis of cosmetic changes.

Once the flyover is constructed, pollution will go up, and there will be a need for mitigation of pollution. Our question is why pollute and then mitigate? The measures suggested for preventing noise pollution and air pollution will turn Peddar Road into a monstrosity. Especially those that suggest putting noise barrier walls on both sides, and other measures.

During construction, traffic at Peddar Road, which is at present a narrow artery for North-South bound traffic, will be disrupted and there will be great chaos. To summarise, in view of the above, one needs to examine an environment-friendly andu00a0 technologically-feasible alternative of an underground tunnel from Haji Ali to Tambe Chowk (Chowpatty) or Marine Drive or Nariman Point.u00a0