The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is reviewing an alternative plan for the construction of a ramp for the ongoing coastal road project. In order to build a ramp for an underground tunnel, the civic body has earmarked a spot just where the Parsi Gate structure stands at the Marine Drive.
Members of the Parsi Community had met, municipal chief – Iqbal Singh Chahal last month and proposed an alternate design for the ramp of the tunnel. According to the new design, the proposed tunnel could be constructed in the middle of the road, instead of building on the outer edges. This way it would also not affect the century-old, Parsi Gate structure.
Chahal had taken note of the plan and instructed the technical team of the coastal road project to meet the concerned citizens. Earlier this week, a delegation of citizens led by municipal corporator – Harshita Narwekar met the technical team lead by Vijay Nighot, chief engineer of the project.
The marathon meeting went for more than two hours, where the citizens made a presentation of the alternate design and urged the civic authorities to acknowledge it.
“Our proposal is to not shift the tunnel but to build the ramp on the middle of the road instead of building it on the outer edges, this will be potentially safer,” Alan Abraham, the architect of the alternate plan told FPJ.
“We are not objecting to the project, our only concern is the work should be initiated in a proper way, also building the ramp in the middle of the road will not affect the view of the seascape,” he added.
The citizens stated, the meeting ended on a positive note and the officials gave a patient hearing to the matter. However, they are yet to receive feedback from them.
Corporator Narwekar on Friday had written to the chief engineer, seeking feedback on the proposed design.
“We have only suggested our idea to the administration as we have envisioned some problems with the present design, every step for this project should be well thought off, before its being implemented because the citizens will have to live with it in the future,” Narwekar told FPJ.
Senior officials of the civic body stated they are presently reviewing the proposed plan.
“The citizens have given us some suggestions and at present, we are reviewing them, hopefully, a joint decision will be taken soon.” a senior official associated with the coastal road project told FPJ.
