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Mumbai eastern Front Development Project

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#1 ·
Mumbai gets second chance to transform
over 250 years, Mumbai’s eastern seafront has remained closed to its citizens and detached from the rest of the city.

Since Lowjee Nusserwanjee Wadia, then the master shipbuilder of Bombay, and his brother Sorabji, built the country’s first dry dock in 1750, and the port expanded and subsequently declined in its importance, Mumbai’s natural harbour on its eastern side is sought to be opened up and reclaimed into the city’s pulsating life.

With 28km and a portion of the 1,800 acres potentially unlocked, it is a rare chance to not only re-build, but also dramatically transform the space-starved city. After the misadventure of the textile mills land, sprawled across central Mumbai adding up to nearly 600 acres, which was re- developed as private commercial and residential space, the eastern waterfront would be the city’s second chance to secure land for public purposes. Mumbai could get tens of Oval Maidans and water transport facilities connecting to areas across the harbour.

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How innovative use of acres of Port land can dramatically transform Mumbai
The 12-year-old proposals to turn this almost-forgotten area into a vastly more productive space were renewed last month when Nitin Gadkari, Union minister for shipping and transport, announced that he had set up a committee to plan and implement the re-development.

Rani Jadhav, former Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) chairperson, was appointed the head of the committee with architect Hafeez Contractor and urban planner-architect Pankaj Joshi of the Urban Design Research Institute as members. The committee has three months to submit its report.

Gadkari declared that the plan would be “to build a cruise terminal at the port for passengers and sea planes, a 500-room floating hotel, four floating restaurants, museums, commercial centres, a floating helipad, and a Mumbai Eye modelled after the London Eye near the sea”. All these suggestions have one focus: commercial development.

Urban planners say this should be made more comprehensive to include open public space for all Mumbaiites and affordable housing stock too. This calls for a master plan, they say.

“The western waterfront not having a master plan for its development encouraged the rich and powerful to manipulate and grab prime land along the coast. Bit by bit, this depleted the city of its most vital open space, the seafront, and turned public space private. This must not happen with the eastern waterfront,” said PK Das, architect and urban planner, who pencilled inclusive plans for Juhu and Bandra waterfronts.

“Mumbai has miserable standards of environment, public amenities and open spaces. If this is done right, the city could breathe again,” said Aneerudha Paul, urban designer and director of the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies. Paul had co-authored a detailed study on the eastern waterfront in 2000.

The MbPT, which owns and manages vast tracts of the 1,800 acres, has invited ideas and suggestions from the public. MbPT chairperson Ravi Parmar, said, “The port is committed to ensuring that the city gains from these lands,” he said. Paul, like other planners, is sceptical.

In a city whose identity revolves around realty, the apprehension is that, if not handled well, the eastern waterfront land could meet the same fate as that of the textile mills: occupied by land-sharks eyeing the sea-facing acres purely for commercial exploitation.

There are several obstacles here. The port has thousands of tenancies, many of whom will have to be evicted for the land to be freed up and the port’s underconstruction Rs1,500-crore offshore container terminal has to be integrated, among other issues.

Meera Sanyal, banker-turned-politician, who contested the general election as an AAP candidate from Mumbai south, offered a solution. “Most of the MbPT land is with various companies on leases, which have expired. We can get them to vacate or ask them to build public amenities in return for their tenancy rights.” According to Paul, to ensure that the mill lands’ episode is not repeated, citizens must participate to negate the vested interests that may be eyeing these plots. Few cities have the luxury to transform themselves over centuries. After decades of unplanned development, largely led by the real-estate lobby, the re-development of the eastern waterfront could, if handled well, turn out to be the single most significant factor in turning the city around.


 
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#36 · (Edited)
Really I like gadkarijis wish whether this is fruitful or not as I am fed up with slum talking,banning of dance bars ,builders benefit ,Road scams,banning of meat during jain festivals , cow slaughter,Ambedkar statue ,sivaji statue etc.

Mumbai: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said he intends to build a structure taller than the Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa here in the memory of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji.

"I am not making any announcement but only expressing my wish. I want a huge building to come up in Mumbai. I want a structure taller than the Burj Khalifa, one of the tallest buildings of the world, to come up in Mumbai near the seas. It will be called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj tower," Gadkari said while speaking at the IBN Lokmat Conclave here.

He further said the first 30 floors would be reserved for a conventional Centre, the next 30 for restaurants, another set of 30 floors for hotels, 20 floors for malls only, along with many floors underground as parking space.

"On the top floors of the building, there can be an art gallery dedicated to Shivaji Maharaj, depicting his life. Around the building, there will be musical fountains, lights and crystal clear water," he said.

The minister also said that he also envisages to make seas of Mumbai as clean as those in Andamans and Mauritius. "We will do whatever can be done to make sea water clean," he added.

The Maharashtra government is currently working on the Rs 1,900-crore project to build a grand memorial for the 17th century warrior king in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai coast. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to lay the foundation of the memorial next month. The memorial, which includes Shivaji's equestrian statue, an amphitheater, a museum and an underwater aquarium, is proposed to come up on an elliptical rock 1.2 kms from the Raj Bhavan here..

firstpost
 
#37 ·
I wish Gadkariji all the best and will hope that his visions come true. He is a proactive minister and has proved his mettle. If he does this job well, Mumbai will truly be put on world map. Even I was thinking the name of the tower should be Chhatrapatti Shivaji Maharaj Tower. No expenses should be spared in the development of Mumbai!

Glad that our state has given ministers like Gadkari and Suresh Prabhu who are working tirelessly round the clock!
 
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#38 ·
Eastern Waterfront project is on drawing board this time, it will change Mumbai’
Bhatia also discusses the plan to redevelop Sassoon Dock into a modern fishing village and how Mumbai is ideal for cruise liners.


Mumbai Port Trust Chairman Sanjay Bhatia speaks about the plan to open up the vast lands on the Eastern Waterfront, a project that will include a marina twice the length of Mairne Drive, a central garden five time larger than Oval Maidan, a new BKC and a Central government office complex. Bhatia also discusses the plan to redevelop Sassoon Dock into a modern fishing village and how Mumbai is ideal for cruise liners.
Kavitha Iyer: Will the ship-breaking industry be closed down as the Eastern Waterfront project kicks off? How will you shut Darukhana?
We will have to give a plot and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) is already there. If the state government and the Central government agree then we will go for an SRA scheme. The scheme has residential and commercial components. That was my first question, these people have their livelihood here, why would they shift? They will shift when they get livelihood and residential. Ship-breaking has almost stopped. Coal handling has stopped. The people will as it is need something else. We will, of course, have to sit down and resolve what happens to the post-2000 slum-dwellers. We have some surveys that show 10,000 tenements before 2000. This survey is dated 2004.
Dipti Singh: Where have the negotiations with fishermen at Sassoon Dock reached? They have seen the plan and they have liked the plan. I have formed a small committee of those guys, our people have are talking to them. They are saying (it’s a) very good plan but stop people (fishermen) coming from Versova first. We are giving them options, such as cold storage, boats.
Kavitha Iyer: Are all reports out in public domain? Is there an action taken report? And are all nine reports on the eastern waterfront in consonance with what you are doing? More or less. They are on the website also. We have culled out the best parts. They are all professionals. Now I am going to start discussions with you. This is first draft, after that we will begin discussions.
Shaji Vikraman: So it will not be put up for public comments? Of course. Nothing can be done without public comments. The other day I had discussions with Aapli Mumbai, then the Urban Design Research Institute. Everybody will have to come on board because anyone could file a PIL. For the first time, Mumbai Port Trust is coming out and saying let’s do it.
Shaji Vikraman: What you are proposing will overshadow what the port trust has been doing for years. Your streams of revenue will completely change. No, the port trust will be what it is. Because out of 800 hectares, we are trying to optimise our godowns and about 300 hectares will come out for this project; 500 (hectares) is going to be with the port. We are the sixth largest port. This is going to be more of a cruise-oriented port, which is right now only a report that shows the potential. Today, our operating revenue is Rs 1,400 crore, we have about Rs 300 of operating profit. There is a good operating revenue coming from port activities. Therefore, port activities will not stop unless there is very clearly a cruise-type alternative happening there.
Arita Sarkar: The BMC has marked out affordable housing on MbPT land. What would happen to that? We have kept that area for residential development. So, it is not affordable housing the way you think affordable housing, but it will be for housing.
Tabassum Barnagarwala: The project is copying the New York model and the Ballard Estate model. What are the original themes you have thought of? We are very impressed by the grid patterns of Ballard Estate. Architects have said this is the best model. There is no boundary wall. All places are accessible to people. Therefore, that is the grid model. Luckily that grid model is also there in New York, but people only understand when I say New York. Real model is the Ballard Estate model. The grid will be everywhere, the architecture will change with time.
Kavitha Iyer: The last such large scale plan was the Dharavi redevelopment project, which was an utter failure. What are the lessons from that? We haven’t taken any lessons from Dharavi. Probably when we are doing the rehabilitation, we will take some lessons. Right now we are in the planning stage. We will consult all experts. If 25 per cent of this happens, Mumbaiites should be very happy. If a very big conflict happens, the slums may not shift. But they will have to shift sooner or later. All this needs to be done in collaboration with the state government. There is a high level committee with the chief secretary as its chairman for issues like moving the slums.
Shaji Vikraman: Is the Eastern Seafront project recognition that the port trust has reached saturation and that are limitations to future growth? I can make ten more cruise berths. There is no saturation. Mumbai is ideal for cruise. So many requests are coming up. Indians request a four-day cruise to go during the weekend and come back, to celebrate marriages and conferences. In October, they will plan smaller routes to go to Cochin or Colombo and back. It would be much more affordable than going anywhere else.
Sadaf Modak: The Ballard Estate Festival hasn’t really taken up well. Any reason it failed and any plan to revamp it? I have had discussions with the event managers and their suggestions are that it should have been planned in a different way. This had become more elitist. They wanted a different name. Which was good but it takes time. Probably the next model will be more open. There will be no ticket, you can go in and crowds will be there…We will probably try that model. Our interest in that was not to make money, we wanted it to be successful. And now with the cruise right there, as soon as passengers come out, they will see Ballard Estate. So these two can join together. These two activities are complementary.
Tabassum Barnagarwala: What is different about this plan as compared to previous ones? For the last 17 years, plans have been made. Every time it was an in-principle plan. This time it is on the drawing board. This plan will probably be thought about at the highest level, because it will change Mumbai.

Indian express
 
#41 ·
^^ Well this one is coming straight from the top with a Union Minister who has direct control over the shipping area. On that basis alone, I see this being pushed and followed through.
 
#42 ·
So let me understand this: Some of the most prime and expensive property in the city will be developed into parks, recreation and "common space", so the poorest and least contributing non tax-paying members of our great society will benefit from the "free" amenities? All so they can have something to do and a place to go during their "leisure" time?

Of course these "Free" amenities are provided using the funds taken by force by the government from hard working tax payers in the form of taxation?

What incentive does a poor and uneducated man or woman have to educate themselves to improve their lot in life, if the government forcibly takes the hard earnings of hard working people and gives it for free to the least productive members of society?

And how much "open public space" will we really have after the street hawkers and jhopdiwallas move in?

India shining!
 
#43 ·
City to get a second ‘Marine Drive’ on its eastern coast

EASTERN SEAFRONT First draft of plan to revamp coastline handed over to port trust


A CONSORTIUM OF AHMEDABAD*BASED HCP DESIGN, PWC AND UNITY CONSULTANCY HAS SUBMITTED THE FIRST DRAFT TO MBPT

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) received the first draft of the plan to develop the city’s eastern waterfront on Tuesday.
The plan includes a marina twice the length of Marine Drive, a public park five times larger than Oval Maidan, a plush business district for Central government offices and an iconic structure bigger than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
The city’s 28-km eastern coastline — from Colaba to Wadala, with 742 hectares of land — is largely undeveloped.
A consortium of Ahmedabadbased HCP Design, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Unity Consultancy has submitted the first draft to MbPT. “Now that we have received the first draft, we will begin discussions with all stakeholders. Depending on these discussions, we will incorporate suggestions and revise the draft,” said Sanjay Bhatia, MbPT chairman.
The first draft incorporates suggestions of a committee headed by former MbPT chairperson Rani Jadhav.
MbPT is optimistic about the development of 150 hectares of vacant land that is available immediately. Work may start in the next 10 to 12 months, said a source. “We will begin informal discussions with stakeholders — the state government, the municipal corporation, fishing community, urban planners, union shipping ministry, etc,” said the source.
Opening up the port land was one of the earliest promises of the Modi government. Following its victory in May 2014, the Union shipping ministry appointed the committee, led by Jadhav, to prepare a proposal for the revamp. Hindustan Times has been reporting about the process of developing the unused port land since July 2014.
The plan is yet to get approval from the Union cabinet and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PLAN Promenade: A part of it will be opened up for public use. The city is to get a promenade twice the size of MarineDrive Open spaces: The MbPT has planned a central garden five times larger than Oval Maidan Water transport: The trust has planned to get water transport terminals built Restoration of heritage structures: The plan includes protection and restoration of heritage sites along the coastline, including Sassoon Docks, Apollo Bunder, Ballard Estate, Radio Club, Sewri Fort, etc.



Hindustantimes epaper
 
#44 ·
Mumbai: Eastern waterfront to get floating eateries, marinas in expansion plan



Mumbai: The Mumbai Port expansion plans has got a big boost and is expected to get green signal from the central government for its expansion and unlocking of 900 acres of land and development of eastern waterfront.

The Union Shipping ministry headed by Nitin Gadkari will make a comprehensive presentation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 16 to seek his views on the Mumbai Port Trust’s eastern waterfront development and the new land policy. Thereafter, the cabinet will approve the plan which is expected to transform Mumbai’s landscape forever. The new land policy will enable Mumbai Port Trust to use its land even for non-port related activities. Besides, land stuck in encroachments by slums will be redeveloped as well, DNA reported in a special story.

The Union minister of Shipping Nitin Gadkari told DNA, “Plans are ready for a makeover. Mumbai Port Trust will make a presentation to the PM on August 16.” Gadkari has already made it clear that the Trust will not give its land to builders and investors.

The project which is about to be undertaken i.e. the eastern waterfront project, to be developed between Wadala and Ferry Warf in the South Central Mumbai, will develop land double the size of Marine Drive, an open ground which will be five times bigger than the existing Oval Maidan, a structure taller than Dubai’s iconic 163-floor Burj Kalifa, and it will include services like floating restaurants, new marinas, promenades, public parks, cycling tracks, and construction of a cruise terminal.

The ambitious plan also includes, housing for citizens living in the Mumbai Port Trust areas is also being proposed. Nearly 900 of the total 1,800 acre land, which is in Mumbai Port Trust’s possession, will be opened up for the various projects, including the allied port operations, the report further added. The investment during the first phase of this mammoth project is estimated to be at Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 crore.

freepressjournal
 
#45 ·
Mumbai Port Trust asks civic body to build Central Park on eastern coastline
T

A Central Park on the eastern coastline with gardens, pathways, an artificial beach and a ropeway station gets closer to reality. The Mumbai Port Trust’s (MbPT) proposal for the park has been added as an amendment to the city’s Development Plan (DP) 2034, which was passed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently. The proposal is now pending with the Maharashtra government for approval.

Earlier this month, MbPT wrote a letter to the BMC to incorporate the plan into the DP. The plan is to build a central park of about 100 hectares near Haji and Hay Bunder at Sewri by reclaiming the water body.

The letter, a copy of which is with HT, states that as compared to famous international gardens such as Central Park in New York (341 hectares), Hyde Park in London (142 hectares), the Grand Park in Chicago (129 hectares) and Bois De Boulogne in Paris (850 hectares), “the parks and gardens in Mumbai such as Oval Maidan, Azad Maidan and Kamla Nehru Park do not have an area more than 25 acres (10 hectares).”

The port trust has also proposed an artificial beach abutting the reclaimed land. Apart from this, the park will house a proposed ropeway station connecting Elephanta Caves.

Sanjay Bhatia, chairman of MbPT confirmed that the letter was sent to the BMC . He further said, “The idea is to boost the city’s green spaces. It is at a nascent stage to comment any further.”

The MbPT is working on transforming the city’s eastern waterfront with a marina twice the size of Marine Drive, a public park, a swanky business district that would house Central government offices and an iconic structure bigger than Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Currently, the entire 28-km eastern coastline (742 hectares) of Mumbai is locked under the MbPT and does not feature prominently in the cityscape.

An Ahmedabad-based consultant, HCP Design, is working on the masterplan. A six-member DP planning committee, which had submitted more than 2,000 recommendations to the plan, also suggested earmarking a special zone – port waterfront development zone – for the project.

Hindustan times
 
#46 ·
Mumbai Port Trust to build Rs 300-crore projects by June

The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) is planning to open up a slew of citizen-focused facilities being built at a cost of up to Rs 300 crore over the next six months, a top official has said.

"Many projects are in different stages of development and nearing completion. Works of around Rs 250-300 crore will be opened before the onset of the monsoon," Sanjay Bhatia, the chairman of one of the country's oldest ports, told PTI.

It can be noted that from a cargo handling perspective, the port has ceded container traffic to the JNPT located across the harbour, and is now concentrating only on handling clean cargo.

It, however, remains one of the biggest land owners in the cramped megapolis and is undertaking a slew of projects aimed at benefiting the citizens and also the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors.

The projects to be completed include starting the ropax ship, which ferries both passengers and motor vehicles, from Mumbai to Mandwa for which a separate jetty and break water is being built, a ferry service connecting south Mumbai with Belapur in the satellite city of Navi Mumbai and beautification of the waterfront at Princess Dock.

He said a domestic cruise terminal with restaurants will also be inaugurated, which is slated to handle a cruise service between the financial capital and Goa that will be starting soon.

The projects to be inaugurated also include water taxis on the eastern waterfront, two floating restaurants at Gateway of India and one at Marine Drive, he said, adding that for deepening the tourism potential, a ferry service to the Kanhoji Angre island at Khanderi will also be started.

The port is planning a ground-breaking for the Rs 3090-crore International Cruise Terminal on January 11, and will take up to 18 months to complete the project that is aimed at upping the calls by global cruises to the country.

MbPT is also working on starting a jetty on Marine Drive near what was earlier called as the 'Chhota Chowpatty', which will aid the seaplane services and also watersport activities off the western coastline, he said.

The plan to have a modern marina, which can welcome the smaller-but-exquisite yachts is also on track, Bhatia said, adding the facility may start before the onset of the monsoon as well.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...ore-projects-by-june/articleshow/62325515.cms

Smoother commute in Mumbai: Metro-4 and Metro-3 to be linked at CSMT

To provide better connectivity to suburban rail commuters, the authorities have decided to link Metro-4 with Metro -3 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

The partially underground extension of Metro 4 (Wadala-Thane-Kasarvadavali) from Wadala to the general post office (GPO) in south Mumbai will be linked to Metro-3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz) corridor at the CSMT, senior officials from the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) confirmed.

The two Metro corridors will be linked underground at the CSMT Metro station being planned for Metro 3. While the extension of Metro 4 will cater to commuters from eastern suburbs, Metro 3 will help people commute from western suburbs to south Mumbai. The extension to the Metro 4 line will pass through the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) land on the eastern waterfront. Of the 9-km extension, 6 km on the southernmost part will be underground, officials said. The extension is being planned to provide connectivity up to south Mumbai via port land, which is going to be developed as a second Marine Drive by MbPT.

The port trust is also keen that the part that will go through their land be underground. The partly-underground extension will cost Rs2,400 crore. “The detailed project report is in its final stages. Once the alignment is finalised, it will be presented to the executive committee and the cabinet for a final approval,” said UPS Madan, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA. “This will be the second partially underground Metro for the city.”

The 5-km Metro corridor from Western Express Highway to the city airport, which will be built to connect Dahisar-Andheri Metro-7 and Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro-3, will be underground. Metro-3 is the only fully underground corridor.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumba...ked-at-csmt/story-16K3q8Kek0gdyYKyhDyb6J.html
 
#57 · (Edited)
Yep it's true. Modernisation takes much time in India.
But it will happen......

Also begs a question.
In the western big cities like London modernisation means banning cars .
So cycle lanes.
But also there's whole areas - eg Hackney - that are for 12 hours a days vehicle free.
So cycles transport for everything.
Using Indian style trikes for business deliveries & kids school runs. Also cycle rickshaws are more common for families with kids.

So what is modernisation ?
I've no clue
 
#60 ·
Latest on this...some simmer still left. Can see some traction on this once the SPA status is granted. Though it may still be a 10 year project.

Initial work may happen only on creating and upgrading a small section of streets and roads and clearing 2-3 sections/blocks. Next step would be Central govt offices of HPCL, BPCL which would be source of finance for the initial infra development. Only after this (6-7 years later), BPT may start opening up blocks and plots for sale as per BKC model.

Next road block:
100's of lease holders and small businesses and slum dwellers who will ofcourse refuse to evacute.
Environ'mentals'

Excerpts from latest interview
“A proposal regarding the use of Mumbai Port Trust land for the development of Mumbai has been pending with the state government for a long time. Mumbai Port Trust has to be recognised as a planning authority. But this proposal was not approved considering the relationship between the state and the Centre during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. A committee was appointed to consider it. Two of them agreed to the proposal, while one member opposed it. But our government has decided to recognise Mumbai Port Trust as a planning authority. It will provide a large amount of land for the development of Mumbai,” said Fadnavis.

 
#61 ·
For this project to be worthwhile the METRO line 11 should be sanctioned and fast lines, 2 numbers should be made operational between CST and Vashi.
A railway bridge having IR and metro tracks along side, parallel to the now Sewri Navha sea link to provide quick connectivity of that area and city at large with Navi Mumbai.

The roads should be designed with fly overs and underpasses and avoid signals as much as possible right from initial design stage.
 
#64 ·
Metro line 11 has got sanction. MMRCL who is handling the famed line3 is given the charge of this from MMRDA considering thr expertise in underground project.

As this underground Metro goes right through the port land and it is going to be costlier version of Metro (ug) so we can safely say the plan to develop the port land is near to end of tunnel.

They won't do a costly transport line unless they don't see a huge need, considering we already have a wobbly harbour line
 
#72 ·
Maharashtra DCM Devendra Phadnavis has stated in Maharashtra legislative assembly today that,

"Currently the Bombay Port trust file is with MH CM. Soon that plan will be given approval and finalising of the current schematic design plan(HCP associates design) will be further enhanced.

More impetus will be on green areas and giving open spaces to Mumbai City. MH govt will be taking forward the Portland development ahead "
 
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