Mumbai: Bridge to connect Marve, Manori gets green signal

A crowded ferry to Marve, on its way from Manori, last month. File Pic/Anurag Ahire

There is good news for people travelling between Marve and Manori as the proposed construction of a bridge at Marve-Manori in the P/N ward by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has moved one step closer to reality. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has granted clearance to the project.

Currently, there is no direct connectivity between Gorai-Manori-Uttan and nearby places from Marve or any part of the western suburbs. At present, the road journey spans 29 km and, during peak traffic, can take almost two hours.

The proposed Marve-Manori bridge will provide a better connectivity option to the Gorai-Manori-Uttan area, reducing the distance from 29 km to just 1.5 km. According to news reports, the bridge will be approximately 410 metres long and will have three pillars at intervals of 105 metres, 210 metres, and 105 metres.

In the past, the local fishermen community opposed the bridge, citing livelihood concerns. A public hearing in February 2024 addressed suggestions and objections related to the project. Various alignment alternatives were studied, and the final design was selected based on minimal bridge length, creek width, and reduced mangrove impact.

As per the MCZMA meeting minutes, the project will require 0.020 hectares of mangrove forest at Village Marve, and 45 mangrove trees (Avicennia marina) will need to be cut. Compensatory mangrove plantation will be carried out at Virathan Budruk village in Palghar.

Sources from MCZMA stated that the project was approved subject to compliance with specific conditions. The bridge and road must adhere strictly to CRZ Notification, 2019 (as amended), and guidelines from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. High court permission must also be obtained, as the bridge falls within mangrove and buffer zone areas.

"Cutting of mangroves must be restricted to a minimum," noted the minutes. The implementing agency is required to undertake compensatory mangrove plantations at a ratio of three times the area affected or destroyed during construction.

"Project proponents must secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the mangrove cell. The number and area of mangroves affected should be determined based on the carbon sequestration potential of the ecosystem. Spatio-temporal changes in geomorphology and landscape dynamics due to developmental activities should be monitored using aerial reality models every three months by third-party institutions, such as the College of Engineering Pune Technological University," the minutes stated.

Additionally, debris generated during the project must not be dumped in the CRZ area and should be processed scientifically at designated locations, as per MSW Rules, 2016. "Solid waste should be properly collected and segregated. Dry/inert waste must be sent to approved landfill sites after recovering recyclable materials. Safe disposal of wastewater must also be ensured," the minutes added.