The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to reconsider the alignment of the proposed Balkum-to-Anandnagar coastal road in Thane. The proposed route would pass through the Thane Creek flamingo sanctuary and affect 3,754 mangroves spread across 2.72 hectares of forest land.
The direction is a setback for the MMRDA, which submitted its proposal to the MCZMA on August 11. Approval from the coastal authority is required for the project to move ahead. Now, the MCZMA has asked the agency to study other ways that would have a lower impact on the eco-sensitive area.
The authority has also asked the MMRDA to submit a report prepared by the state forest department's mangrove preservation cell. The report will help assess the project's impact on the mangroves. MMRDA will also list the steps for reducing the environmental impact of the project. It has also sought a plan for compensatory mangrove plantations, particularly as several alternative alignments are being considered.
The project is planned as the second phase of the Elevated Thane Coastal Road. It is proposed to connect Balkum with Anandnagar in Mulund East. The road will help traffic travelling towards Kalyan, Nashik and other areas north of the Mumbai The metropolitan region bypasses Thane city. The MMRDA is also building a six-lane extension of the Eastern Freeway from Ghatkopar to Thane. This will also connect with the proposed coastal road.
As per a report by HT, changing the proposed alignment would be difficult because it follows the road corridor identified in the Thane Municipal Corporation's Development Plan, as said by an MMRDA official.
The proposed road would connect with important links like the Eastern Express Highway, the proposed Kopri-Patni bridge and the proposed Eastern Freeway extension at Anand Nagar.
The agency has also defended the design of the proposed road in the mangrove and eco-sensitive areas. According to the MMRDA, the section crossing these areas will be elevated and supported on piers. This would limit the road's physical footprint on the ground.