http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/urban-planners-greens-see-red/article8053243.ece
Updated: January 1, 2016 08:44 IST Urban planners, greens see red ALOK DESHPANDE Criticising the Centre’s clearance to Mumbai’s coastal road project (CRP), environmentalists and urban town planners have said that the decision is likely to be counterproductive from the perspective of transport planning, wasteful from the perspective of financial resources, and disruptive from the perspective of the environment and livelihoods. Out of the total length of 34 kilometres, around 11.61 km is proposed as a reclaimed road, the total area of reclamation being 168.08 hectares. “As one of the largest proposed reclamations due to a single project, it will offset the coastline considerably along large stretches, smoothening out the natural formations of the coast for the free flow of traffic,” said Shweta Wagh, urban conservationist and assistant professor at Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture. She said the project will require reclamation of 27 hectares of mangrove land (the civic commissioner said 90 hectares would be reclaimed), and will impact irreversibly more areas due to construction activity. “The stretch of road between Juhu and Malad will pass through the Malad creek and over mangroves near Versova fishing village, and this area will be severely affected,” she said. According to Ms Wagh, mangroves and coastal wetlands serve important ecological functions (such as breeding areas for coastal fauna) and provide important ecological services. They act as natural sponges and play a crucial role in flood prevention, and it is incredible how the DPR disregards this fact. The assumption behind the CRP is that it will ‘take away’ traffic from the internal roads, and therefore reduce congestion. “Every transport planner understands very well that increasing road space generates traffic, and that the best way to tackle congestion is to make private transport expensive and inconvenient. The fact is the CRP is based on a mindset that consciously aims at promoting automobile use,” said Hussain Indorewala, research associate, Collective for Spatial Alternative, and co-convener, Hamara Shehar Mumbai. He said Mumbai cannot sustain car ownership beyond current levels, and arresting or even reversing the rapid growth of automobiles has to be the thrust of policy and planning. “The annual growth in car ownership is about 6.4 per cent, up from 5.5 lakh private four wheelers in 2010 to 7.2 lakh in 2015. At the same time public vehicles have increased only at 0.9 per cent annually. The fuel consumption in Mumbai has increased. As a result, by 12.4 per cent annually, a dangerous trend is developing in a rapidly-warming planet,” he said. Ashok Datar of Mumbai Environmental Social Network said the Centre’s decision to clear the CRP is a cruel joke on citizens of Mumbai, at a time when the city is witnessing what is happening in Chennai and Delhi. “Coastal road must be the biggest and most expensive road project in India. It involves an expenditure of Rs 342 cr/km equal to metro, but carries very small number of motorists. Coastal road is an insult to the environment, logic, and even finances,” said Mr Datar. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
