RIL frontrunner to develop 70 hectares of open space along Mumbai Coastal Road
Among the total bidders, RIL has emerged as one of the top contenders with the civic body, last week, sending a proposal to finalise it as the voluntary agency to carry out landscaping works
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Of the 111 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea to develop MCRP, BMC has earmarked 70 hectares to develop an open landscape encompassing green pockets, gardens, cycling tracks and amphitheatres (File)Nearly five months after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) floated an Expression of Interest (EoI) inviting private companies and voluntary organisations to develop and maintain nearly 70 hectares of the open landscape along the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP), Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has emerged as the frontrunner to develop the land parcel. A proposal to finalise RIL as the voluntary agency for the landscaping work on the open space has been forwarded to the municipal commissioner’s office. After the final nod, the agency is slated to submit the design proposals, along with a timeline for the landscaping works.
Among the total bidders, RIL has emerged as one of the top contenders with the civic body, last week, sending a proposal to finalise it as the voluntary agency to carry out landscaping works. “Among the other agencies, Reliance was the only corporate entity satisfying the conditions of the EOI. The other companies were falling short on some or the other criteria enlisted in the scope of works,” a civic official privy to the developments told The Indian Express.
A query sent to the RIL did not elicit any response.
Of the 111 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea to develop MCRP, BMC has earmarked 70 hectares to develop an open landscape encompassing green pockets, gardens, cycling tracks and amphitheatres. Within the ambit of this landscape, BMC is developing a Marine Drive-like 7.5-km-long promenade along the coast, which accounts for nearly 11 hectares while the median of the arterial road — accounting for 5 hectares of the open space — is being beautified by Tata Sons Limited.
For the rest 53 hectares, which spans open space on the landward side from Breach Candy to Worli, BMC was eyeing to rope in private entities to develop and maintain the open space for which an EOI was floated, inviting private companies and voluntary organisations for designing, developing and maintaining the massive land parcel. At least five big companies including Jindal, Raymond, RPG foundation, Vedanta besides Reliance had thrown their hat in the ring.
As per the EOI, the scope of works for the volunteer agency encompasses development and maintenance of the parks, gardens, water bodies as well as cycle and pedestrian tracks besides other softscape elements like plantation, irrigation etc over a space spanning 53 hectares. Besides, the agency will also be charged with the maintenance of the promenade. Meanwhile, the EOI also called for agencies with technical capacity and previous experience of executing similar projects within the past five years. While the civic body had proposed nearly Rs. 400 crore as the cost of the project works, the landscaping and maintenance works will be developed through CSR funding by the finalised party. Even as the BMC had floated a blueprint for the landscaping works between Priyadarshini Park to Worli in March 2024, the civic body has not imposed any design for the volunteer agency.
“After the proposal is approved, we will send them a selection intimation. Upon their finalisation, the agency will then submit their design proposals, which will be approved by the civic body after checking whether their designs align with the CRZ norms and the Supreme Court guidelines,” added sources.
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