First post reserved for future updates.
Mumbai: The cost of the project to build Chhatrapati Shivaji’s statue in the Arabian Sea has gone up manifold, from Rs 200-300 crore in 2005 to around Rs 1,400 crore. The escalation is largely due to the DF government’s delay in implementing the project, which has been its poll promise since the past two elections. Thus, taxpayers will have to pay a lot more for the project as the monument will be built on a cash contract.
Also, due to turbidity along Mumbai’s coast, it will not be possible to build an advanced underwater marine aquarium below the statue. Instead, there will be a fresh water aquarium.
The state government on Tuesday revealed the detailed project plan it recently submitted to the Union environment ministry (MoEF) following positive remarks in the freshly concluded environment impact assessment (EIA) study by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa. The IIT-B has already completed the study of the 18 hectares of rock located a kilometre away into the sea from Raj Bhavan at Malabar Hill on which the statue has been proposed.
The government is already fighting a case with an architecture firm—Team One Architect—whose design was selected by the state for implementation in 2009. The firm has challenged deviation from the earlier process. The council of architecture has also slapped a fine of 1% of the project cost on the government for not awarding work to the firm despite selection of its design.
When asked about the expenses required for the project, the guardian minister for the island city and rural development minister Jayant Patil said the entire cost might hover around Rs 1,300 to 1,400 crore.
However, when pointed out that the cost was Rs 200 crore at the time when statue was initially proposed, Patil said neither of these cost estimates were actually true as they were just the preliminary estimates and might have changed eventually depending upon the scope of development.
In 2009, when the first competition for architectures was held, the project’s cost was pegged at Rs 600 crore. Patil said project cost will entirely borne by the government, which means the public exchequer will have to contribute a lot.
When asked about the legal battle with the Team One Architect, the guardian minister said that the earlier project was close to the Marine Drive whereas the new one that has been proposed is far away on the 18-hectare rock. Patil also admitted the fact that the aquarium would be a fresh water one as it was not possible to build an underwater one like in some Western countries.
:nuts::nuts::nuts:
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/shivaji-memorial-to-get-grander-with-an-oceanarium/
Plans for a memorial of Maratha warrior king Shivaji in the Arabian Sea off Marine Drive just got grander, with the state government planning to set up the world’s largest oceanarium as part of the memorial, which is to come up on a 16-hectare rock islet located 1.2 km from Raj Bhavan and 3.6 km from Girgaum Chowpatty.
As part of the proposed memorial, the state government plans to build the 190-metre tall equestrian statue of Shivaji, which could make it the tallest statue in the world.
Talking of the plan for an oceanarium, Jayant Patil, guardian minister, Mumbai (island city), said, “The idea was to house marine animals belonging to a variety of species.” He said experts from the state had visited top oceanariums in the world, while conceptualising the facility.
The proposed oceanarium could, however, mean curtains for a similar facility being planned on state dairy department-owned land in Worli. “We might not need another aquarium if this one comes up,” additional chief secretary P S Meena said.
Patil said the oceanarium would be state-of-the-art, with glass galleries. A senior state official said the idea was to raise awareness on the need to protect marine ecosystems.
The concept plan, designed by the JJ School of Architecture, was submitted to Union Environment Minister Veerappa Moily last week, Patil told reporters.
The site falls in the coastal regulation zone-IV. With certain commercial elements planned too, the state has approached the Centre for delisting the site from CRZ-IV category.
According to the plan, the statue will be placed on a pedestal that resembles the octagonal shape of Shivaji’s raj mudra or royal seal. Besides the ocenarium, the memorial will also house a museum to exhibit artefacts, history and murals on Shivaji, two theatres where films on the warrior king will be screened, a big library and facilities for sound and light shows. Eateries and cafeterias are on the anvil too.
Meena said miniature versions of various forts set up during Shivaji’s reign would also be displayed.
With elections around the corner, the Maharashtra government has revived its project to build an equestrian statue of Shivaji in the Arabian Sea, off Marine Drive in Mumbai — on a much grander scale.
A high-powered committee headed by the city’s guardian minister and NCP leader Jayant Patil has shelved the earlier plans approved by former chief minister Ashok Chavan and is set to start afresh, based on a new concept design submitted by the JJ School of Architecture.
While the earlier design proposed a modest height of 321 ft (98 metres), the new plans could make the Shivaji statue the tallest in the world at 190 metres, taller than even the proposed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue (182 metres) in Gujarat, which was being touted as the world’s tallest.
“Our criterion is not to create the tallest statue but one that is prominently visible from the Queen’s Necklace,” said Patil. He said IIT-Bombay would carry out tests to ascertain the load-bearing capacity of the base this week. “Only after that will we take a decision on the final height of the statue,” he said.
According to the earlier design, the statue was to be built on a pedestal shaped like a shivling, on 7.5 acres of reclaimed land one kilometre into the sea from Marine Drive. The new design has the statue placed on a pedestal that resembles the octagonal shape of Shivaji’s raj mudra or royal seal.
The new plans also include a museum to exhibit artefacts, history and murals on Shivaji, dancing fountains, amphitheatre, auditorium, aquarium, facilities for sound and light shows and water adventure sports. These are to be built on an existing elliptical basalt rock structure with an area of 16 hectares during low tide.
The site is located further into the sea, at 1.2 km from Raj Bhavan, 3.6 km from Girgaum Chowpatty beach and 2.6 km from Nariman Point.
State government sources said the cost of the new statue could well exceed Rs 1,000 crore. When the project was first proposed, the estimated cost was Rs 100 crore, which was later hiked to Rs 500 crore.
“The old design was meant for a different location which was beset with environmental issues. We had to go for a new concept since we now have a new spot which is located further into the ocean,” said Patil. Plans for the statue were first announced in the 2004 election manifesto of the Congress-NCP combine in the state.
The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and National Institute of Oceanography have been asked to draft an Environmental Impact Assessment report for the project, a pre-requisite for clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
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