CM Devendra Fadnavis okays BMC's cycling track
The project would create the shortest route between north-south and east-west Mumbai.
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received the nod from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for its cycling track project, which will come along the Tansa pipeline. The track will run from suburban Mulund till Antop Hill in Wadala.
The Rs 300-crore project will be completed within 18 months, confirmed Mr Fadnavis on his official Twitter handle. Civic chief Ajoy Mehta had, in June this year, put the proposal for this project for approval.
The tweet stated, “CM Devendra Fadnavis principally approves MCGM proposal for cycle track for Mumbaikars- Green Wheels along blue lines (sic).”
Furthermore, it was revealed that the project would create the shortest route between north-south and east-west Mumbai.
The track will have 40 entry/exit points and will have connectivity to 19 railway stations, seven metro stations and four monorail stations.
The 10-metre space that will be retained after clearing the encroachments along the 39-km-long pipeline, will be utilised for the cycling track, also jogging tracks will be made available in the space.
The civic body claims it will be the country’s longest cycling track.
The pipeline spans two areas: Mulund to Dharavi and Ghatkopar to Sion. Around 10 administrative wards of the BMC fall under this route, which includes places like Wakola, Mulund, Khar (east), Mahim, Kurla (east) and Wadala Depot.
The BMC was slammed by the high court in 2009 for failing to protect its main pipeline from slum encroachments and it was ordered to maintain 10-metre buffer zone, acting on which the BMC decided to clear off the encroachments that fall under the distance of 10 metres from the pipeline. The civic body found more than 15,000 such encroachments after a detailed survey.
The encroachments were linked to theft of water, leaks and wastage of water, claimed a PIL.
According to reports, the BMC has sought an extension till December 31 2017, to clear the encroachments, which come under phase II, and for phase III and IV, it has sought a deadline till June 30, 2018.