Centre to BMC: Ensure there is no adverse impact on tides

Mumbai: Apart from making the coastal road project toll-free, the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has made several recommendations to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), asking it to fulfil them while carrying out the coastal road project. Some of the major recommendations are as follows:

• The project shall ensure that during the construction phase no adverse impact on tidal behaviour is attracted.
• A written undertaking should be provided that 90 hectares of reclaimed land for the project shall not be used for any commercial or residential purpose.
• Open spaces created by reclamation are fully protected against encroachment, illegal parking, hawkers, religious structures, street vendors or any illegal occupants etc. Violation of this will amount to revocation of clearance.
• The green spaces should be done in eco-friendly manner by developing it with an open-air nature information centre with novel concepts as an open-air butterfly garden, marine and coastal biodiversity display.
• The project shall provide alternative arrangement for fish-drying beds for the fishing community. In addition, the rehabilitation and resettlement of the fisher communities should be ensured.
• The project will develop a marine biodiversity conservation plan for the region from a reputed academic institute.
• The project shall ensure that noise barriers all along the coastal road on areas facing residential areas are erected and maintained.
• Two per cent of the total cost of the project should be deposited for conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity, to the Mangrove Foundation of Maharashtra.