Standoff over land for bridge

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is having a tough time acquiring 500 square metre of land owned by the Somaiya Trust for the much-awaited 1.6 km Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC)-Eastern Express Highway elevated bridge.

A senior MMRDA official who did not want to be named, said, “The Somaiya Trust’s expectation of the amount of compensation against handing over the land to the MMRDA is bit impractical as they are asking too much of compensation. It becomes vital for MMRDA to acquire land of the Trust, as it is essential to complete the project.”

The work on the project has started from the BKC-end and the MMRDA needs the land owned by Somaiya Trust to start work from the other side. Both parties also got into an agreement last month where the Trust agreed to hand over the land to the MMRDA. However, according to an MMRDA official, “After the agreement was signed there has been some demand of compensation, which the MMRDA feels is too much and not feasible.”

The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) had earlier halted the work on the project as the bridge crosses over Mithi River, but the Authority later gave clearance to the project and work was resumed.

However, “the work, which is yet to start from the Eastern Expressway Highway-end, was scheduled to start much earlier, but is stuck due to the non-availability of the Somaiya Trust land,” an MMRDA official said.

The Rs 155.7 crore contract for the 1.6 km-long project was approved by the executive committee of the MMRDA in 2014. The project will provide connectivity between western and eastern suburbs. The connector is expected to cut travel time by 30 minutes and distance by 3 km. It is also expected to decrease traffic congestion in Sion and Dharavi areas.

The route of the proposed connector is as follows: it will start from G-Block in BKC and after crossing Mithi river and VN Mankikar Road or Duncan Causeway road leading to Chunabhatti Railway station, it will cross Harbour Line tracks, pass through Somaiya Trust’s ground to join the Eastern Express Highway.