Bombay High Court clears cable bridge linking Versova and Madh
The court has allowed the civic body to cut 1,237 mangroves for the bridge, which will cut the Versova-Madh journey from 90 minutes to five
The long-delayed cable-stayed bridge on the Versova to Madh road in Mumbai's western suburbs has finally got the go-ahead. The Bombay High Court has allowed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to cut down 1,237 mangrove trees that were coming in the way of the bridge. The bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna gave the order on the condition that all environmental law requirements are followed.
At present, people travelling from Versova to Madh have to take a long detour via Andheri, Jogeshwari, Oshiwara and Malad. Since Madh-Marve Road is more than 12 kilometres from the main link road, the route sees heavy daily traffic congestion and the journey takes an hour and a half. A ferry service is also available, but it has to be suspended during low tide or at night, leaving commuters without an alternative.
To address these problems, a four-lane, 1,064-metre cable-stayed bridge is being built at a cost of Rs 2,395 crore. Once complete, the bridge will cut the distance between Versova and Madh by 18 to 20 kilometres, bringing the journey time down from an hour and a half to just five minutes. The civic body has told the court that this will save commuters time and also significantly reduce accidents and traffic jams on New Link Road, the Western Express Highway and S. V. Road. The bridge will connect to the coastal road route and to roads under the development plan.
To make up for the environmental loss, the civic body has given the court a firm commitment. Under the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, 39,000 replacement mangrove trees will be planted on nine hectares of land held by forest officials of the North Konkan Mangrove division. A fund of Rs 1.42 crore has already been set aside to maintain these trees for the next 10 years and for other necessary work.
Work on the project is being expedited now that all environmental clearances have been obtained. The civic body's project is expected to make travel in the western suburbs faster and easier, and make Mumbaikars' daily commute more comfortable.
