Eastern waterfront project on hold again

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan,who chaired an Authority meeting today,indicated the project has been now put in cold storage. “No decision has been taken,” he said when asked about the project’s progress. He indicated the project might be given back to the MSRDC to execute,depending on the success of the project on the west coast. A senior MMRDA official said,“The government first wants to study how the plan works on the west coast. Therefore it is working on it now.”

The project,Ferry Wharf to Vashi,Nerul and Belapur,is aimed at supplementing the saturated suburban railway system to the city’s east. The MMRDA had already begun studies and was ready with the paperwork and inspected Vashi,Neral and Belapur. “Allocations were to be made on infrastructure: building terminals,dredging and building food stalls. But now it has been put off,” the official added.

The MSRDC has attracted only one sole bid for the west-coast project. The bidder has qualified on the technical and financial grounds; the MSRDC board and the state Cabinet need to take a final decision.

The MMRDA will remain on the roll-on,roll-off ferry service project between Ferry Wharf and Mandva Jetty,near Alibaug. The service will allow passengers to carry vehicles on board.

Project watch
BRTS:Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said the government is yet to take a decision on the BRTS,which the Centre has asked the state to implement,and which it has expressed a willingness to fund. “Presentations have been made before the Centre but no decision has been taken. We have to analyse the pros and cons.” He mentioned the need to review how BRTS has fared in various cities and factor in aspects such as road width. The MMRDA last year got a consultant to prepare a detailed report on BRTS for the city but it would rather have the BMC implement it. The BMC has not made its stand clear.

Water: Chavan has asked the MMRDA to coordinate with the BMC in preparing a report on a plant each for sewerage treatment,desalination and water-recycling. “We don’t require these urgently,but the city would certainly need it in coming years. The MMRDA and BMC have been asked to submit a report within six months. From the sewerage treatment plant,water may be used for purposes other than drinking. Water from the sea can be drawn and made available for the drinking.”

Monorail & Metro: Detailed project reports for all corridors of the monorail,which the MMRDA plans to develop at Rs 20,000 crore,are likely to be prepared by December. For the six corridors in the Metro’s second and third phases,DPRs will be ready by September 2010. M/s Lea Associates,South Asia Pvt Ltd,New Delhi,were assigned the job of preparing a monorail masterplan for the MMR based on the projected demand for 2021 and 2031.