Navi Mumbai: NMMC development plan neglects environment, infra pressure, say greens

Navi Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) draft development plan ignores environmental issues and the imminent infrastructure crisis arising out of the massive redevelopment projects underway, citizen groups said.

'We need to create urban forests..': NatConnect Foundation

“Instead of creating more concrete jungles, we need to create urban forests. The ones created at Kopar Khairane and Nerul are good examples. We need to create more such projects on Parsik Hills and other areas such as Vashi, Nerul Sanpada, Airoli and in the MIDC industrial belt,” NatConnect Foundation said in its memorandum submitted to NMMC Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar.

The DP does not seem to take into the massive redevelopment that is happening and NMMCis bound to play havoc with the existing infrastructure and logistics, B N Kumar pointed out.

For instance, scores of high rises are coming up after the demolition of ill-planned JN type buildings at Sectors 9 and 10 of Vashi. The land remains the same while the vertical development will put at least thrice the pressure as the number of houses and shops will dramatically increase. These sectors have the same old roads that cannot be widened with little scope for elevated roads or flyovers, NatConnect said.

It is difficult to cross the roads or walk on the pavements and the situation will just be unimaginable after three or four years. The planned city will soon be worse than Andheri or Lower Parel, with no disrespect to these places, Kumar said.