MSRDC denied blasting permits

Mumbai: The Maharastra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has been denied permission to carry out blasting inside the Sanjay Gandhi Natio-nal Park (SNGP) for the Borivali-Thane undergro-und tunnel project. The state body had roped in a Bangalore-based rock ins-titute to study the project.

Taking ahead with the report, the authorities had approached the SGNP officials for seeking permission for controlled blasting. However, now with the denial from the SGNP officials, the authorities might plan to use the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for the project.

“The blasting technique has been disapproved by the SGNP authorities, hence we have to make changes and then submit the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the forest department. If not blasting, then we have to resort to TBMs for tunneling. This may affect the total project too,” said a senior official from MSRDC.

The Asian Age had reported in its October 4 edition that the state body had approached the National Institute of Rock Mechanics in Bangalore to conduct a study on the density of rocks underground. The MSRDC officials had already decided to perform controlled blasting for underground tunnel, which will pass through the SGNP to reach Thane.

“Blasting in any case inside the national park is not permitted and hence there is no question about it. Let them get the proposal sanctioned from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change and follow the ministry’s instructions,” said Anwar Ahmed, director of SGNP.  The six-lane tunnel that was proposed in 2015 will connect Tikuji-ni-Wadi in Thane to the Western Express Highway at Borivali. The project costs Rs 1,500 crore and entails an 11-km-long tunnel.