Mumbai: Versova-Madh Island bridge work likely to get moving soon

A boat leaves from the Versova jetty for Madh Island. File pic

Work on the much-awaited Versova-Madh Island bridge is likely to start soon after being stuck for years due to some necessary environmental clearances. Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray held a meeting with the BMC officials concerned and reviewed the project on Monday. The project report has already been submitted to the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and is awaiting clearances.

After strong resistance from the fishing community over the years for a survey to be conducted in their village, the BMC has finally managed to complete it. The project needs environment clearances as it will cross over the sea to reach Madh Island and this will bring down the travel time from Versova to about 10 minutes. The bridge will be about 1.5 kilometres long and a four-lane road.

Work on six bridges - including the long-pending Versova-Madh bridge - to be constructed by the BMC at a cost of '2,000 crore, got delayed as no contractor came forward to construct them owing to the pending environmental clearances. The civic body has appointed consultants to take permission from the government.

All the bridges will cross over water bodies at certain locations and require a lot of mangrove destruction. "Thus, environmental clearances will be mandatory and are likely to take time," said a civic official.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Infrastructure), Rajan Talkar, said, "Once the approvals are in place, we will float tenders to start work on the bridge. We are hopeful that it will progress faster."

Meanwhile, the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Association questioned the bridge department about the other long-pending bridges in the area, which need the attention of the civic body.

Activist Dhaval Shah said, "It is high time that the bridge department takes up the pending work of the Balasaheb Thackeray flyover extension and Amaranth Towers to SVP Nagar bridge route."

1.5
Estimated length in km of Versova-Madh bridge