Mumbai Update - project news from Mumbai

[kshatriya]

Woah looks nice. Awesome Worli aerial too!!

[kshatriya]

http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2004/august/90735.htm

Daggers drawn
By: Yogesh Naik and Deepak Lokhande
August 24, 2004


The meeting lasted for over an hour. Within a huge room at the Sahyadri State Guesthouse, five members of the Citizens’ Action Group collared the state government and asked the eight representatives present, for some straight answers. Among the issues discussed were the ubiquitous potholes.

Yogesh Naik and Deepak Lokhande give you an account

Citizens’ Action Group


Anand Mahindra,
Mahindra and Mahindra group
Blasted the state government and asked how Mumbai was going to become a world-class city with so many potholed roads.

F T Khorakiwala,
owner, Akbarally’s
Wanted to know how the BMC could approve tenders below project costs. He said it suggested that either project costs were inflated or there were malpractices going on.

Sharda Dwivedi, historian
Wanted Marine Drive to be an art precinct.

Also present

* Noel Tata and Homi Sethna from the Tata Group
* Justice Jahagirdar and Minoo Shroff

State representatives


Johny Joseph,
municipal commissioner
Tried to defend his organisation with a typically bureaucratic reply. He said that the BMC had appointed experts and technical committees to look into the issue of BMC tenders. He however admitted that the problem had persisted for the last 20 years and promised action.


T Chandrashekar,
MMRDA additional commissioner
Said if Sharda Dwivedi's suggestion was accepted, every small beautification issue would have to be cleared through the Heritage Committee, which would be cumbersome and time-consuming.
He also made a brief presentation of 10 major projects undertaken by the MMRDA to ensure a better quality of life to citizens in Mumbai.


Nawab Malik,
guardian minister for Mumbai
Wanted Bandra and Kurla terminus to be included in the Vision Mumbai plan. Malik’s contention was that the group was looking at only bigger projects, while several small projects could ensure a better picture.


Sushilkumar Shinde,
chief minister
Intended to undertake many more beautification projects like the one at Marine Drive. He expressed satisfaction over the progress made by the Group so far.


Sanjay Ubale,
special projects secretary
Briefed the meeting about progress made by the state government on issues discussed in earlier meetings. Tenders for the Ghatkopar Versova Light Rail Transit System floated, prequalification bid for Trans Harbour Link, redevelopment of cessed buildings and sanction of escalated expenditure on Bandra Worli Sea link, were among the efforts listed by Ubale.

MMRDA projects under Vision Mumbai

1 North-South, East-West corridor
2 Dedicated bus lanes
3 Metro rail system
4 Light Rail Transport System
5 Marine Drive beautification drive
6 Interstate bus and truck terminal, Wadala
7 Entertainment zone at Gorai
8 Eastern Freeway
9 Improvement of suburban railway stations
10 Development of waterfronts

What is CAG

The Citizens’ Action Group (CAG) was set up to monitor development projects in Mumbai. The action group has on its rolls industrialists, academics, advertising men, sports and media persons. A Vision Mumbai report was prepared in August 2003 with recommendations for transforming Mumbai into a slick, beautiful city. In September, it was presented to the CM, who appointed Sanjay Ubale, to head the project.

[kshatriya]

MUIP project kickstarts in Malad

By: Pooja Kumar
August 25, 2004


The width of SV Road in Malad is only 8.5 metres as compared to the desirable 27.5 metres

Work on the Maharashtra Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP) project to widen SV Road and the Western Express Highway from Bandra to Dahisar has begun in Malad.

The Rs 2,600 crore plan, called the Western Relief Road, will increase the width of the two arterial roads to decongest them.

The project, which started in Feb 2004, is expected to be complete by Aug 2005.

“In Mumbai, everyday 250 vehicles are added to the roads,” says R Ramana, senior transportation planner, MMRDA, which launched MUIP. “The project is designed keeping in mind the increase in the traffic population till 2021,” he adds.

The work will be carried out in three phases without hampering traffic. “Road widening on SV Road and the Highway will take place on one side of the road at a time so that traffic des not get blocked or diverted,” says AV Gangurde, project manager, MMRDA.

SV Road

“There are four bottlenecks on SV Road, at Goregaon, Malad, Kandivli and Borivli railway stations. According to the Development Plan, the width of SV Road should be more than 27.4 metres,” says Gangurde.

“However, in Malad, SV Road is as narrow as 8.5 metres and so traffic congestion is maximum here,” he says.

As per the plan, SV Road is uniformly being widened to 27.4 metres. There will be three lanes each to and from Bandra, a total of six lanes of 3.5 metres each along with place for a footpath. The lanes will be demarcated so that vehicles don’t change lanes.

However, officials say they are finding it hard to carry out the work in Malad.

“The road is very narrow and there is so much construction on the edge of the road that there is hardly any work space alongside the road “There is no space to locate the workers in the area,” says Ramana.

He adds, “Also, there are many constructions along SV Road that have to be demolished and relocated, which is a time-consuming process.”

“The BMC and the traffic police are supporting the plan and we are sure work will be completed as scheduled,” says Ramana.

Western Express Highway

The highway, from Bandra to Santacruz airport is being widened from 60 to 72 metres.

From Santacruz to Dahisar its width will be increased from 45-60 metres to 61 metres. There will be a total of eight lanes, four lanes each to and from Bandra to Dahisar.

“There are no lane markers now,” says Ramana, adding, “Once the Highway is widened, lanes will be marked as per the speed limits.”

He explains that while the first lane close to the divider will have a speed limit of 40 km per hour, the next two will have a speed limit of 60 to 80 kmph; the fourth lane will be for overtaking.

What the project aims to do

• Widen important roads as per the BMC’s Development Plan (DP)

• Improvement of footpaths along arterial roads between Bandra and Dahisar

• Completion of roads that have been proposed in the DP but not completed

• Flyovers at bottleneck points in Goregaon, Malad and Kandivli

• Pedestrian facilities at identified locations like Goregaon, Malad and Kandivli

2,600 crore
Total cost of the project

1,900 crore
Cost of widening SV Road and Western Express Highway

700 crore
To be spent on improvement of the footpaths and to make connecting links

[Ubermensch]

Good Stuff,,

I really wish we could ask about the removal of a height limit for commercial buildings in the CBD's only.

[kshatriya]

Originally Posted by Ubermensch

Good Stuff,,

I really wish we could ask about the removal of a height limit for commercial buildings in the CBD's only.

Yeah me too...

[Hindustani]

Suncity....Great Worli Seaface Areal shot. & who says Mumbai lacks greenary

[kshatriya]

How tall is the tallest in that pic?

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by kshatriya

How tall is the tallest in that pic?

Looks like it is a 40 storey under construction..

[Suncity]

Long overdue..

[Hindustani]

A city and its builder

A CORRESPONDENT

Navi Mumbai, the alternative city created on the mainland to decongest Mumbai, has begun to attract businesses and families, and its builder, CIDCO, has recorded remarkable growth.



THE most ambitious plan to decongest Mumbai was the one to create Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai), an alternative urban settlement on the mainland that would remain accessible to the island city. Conceived in the 1970s, Navi Mumbai was seen as the answer to many of Mumbai's problems. This was to be a city that would contain all that Mumbai offered but would be clean, orderly, efficient and well-planned. The plan was to motivate businesses in Mumbai, which were finding it increasingly difficult to expand, to move to this 21st century city. The expectation was that Mumbai, which was bursting at its seams, would get decongested and concentrate on redeveloping itself. Unfortunately, the incentives to move just did not add up enough for the businesses to relocate. Mumbai has a charm like no other city.





The Palm Beach expressway developed by CIDCO in Navi Mumbai.

For many years after it was created, Navi Mumbai wore a somewhat desolate look. The huge chrome and stone suburban railway stations, which were designed to cater to the well-heeled corporate crowd, were barely used. And the broad roads and high-tech buildings started looking a little run down. But with the construction of residential complexes, Navi Mumbai has now come alive and has begun to draw a significant amount of interest from the very people that once shunned it.

The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (CIDCO) is singularly responsible for Navi Mumbai's success. CIDCO was formed with the aim of creating a counter-magnet to Mumbai. And that is exactly what it is in the process of accomplishing. To begin with, the Government of Maharashtra acquired 344 square kilometres of land on the mainland across Thane Creek and handed it over to CIDCO to create 14 nodes. Indicative of CIDCO's success in the venture is the fact that from a body with an initial subscribed capital of Rs.3.95 crores it has grown to one with a staggering Rs.600 crores-plus annual turnover. Its total investment in city building projects today is to the tune of Rs.7,972 crores.





Vinay Mohan Lal, Chairman of CIDCO.

Owing to CIDCO's meticulous planning, Navi Mumbai today has 1.3 million people who opted to relocate to its pleasant environs. Sixty-seven per cent of these families live in ownership houses and 74 per cent reside in CIDCO houses. Of the working population, 63 per cent is employed within the city, with 60 per cent engaged in office-oriented jobs. Seventy-five per cent of the residents are "fully satisfied with the various social facilities, especially the educational facilities," says CIDCO Chairman Vinay Mohan Lal.

Quality housing at affordable prices has been CIDCO's main aim and this has become its key selling point. Housing in Navi Mumbai is available for people of every income group, including the affluent non-resident Indians (NRIs). One of the main reasons why houses in Navi Mumbai became popular is that CIDCO provided land at concessional prices for educational establishments. "Good schools and colleges are sought after, and many Mumbai families have found that the new township has met their demands in more ways than one,'' Vinay Mohan Lal told Frontline. "Moreover, the roads never get flooded and the environment is clean. People have realised the merits of this area.''

With regard to civic amenities such as water and power supply and waste disposal, the planners have taken care to provide independent facilities for each node. For instance, aerated lagoon-type sewerage treatment plants have been developed for each node and the effluent discharge conforms to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board standards. Reliable and adequate power supply has been provided to the city, keeping in mind future needs. Similarly, water supply systems have been developed with prudence. Potable water is supplied in abundance; distribution networks with storage tanks have been established in each node.

For those who still have to commute to Mumbai, CIDCO has kept its commitment of setting up a mass rapid transit system covering 200 km, spread over six rail corridors and 30 stations. The corridors connect Navi Mumbai with Mumbai and Thane. The Mankhurd-Panvel rail corridor has been commissioned. This would be one of the biggest rail projects post-Independence, says Mohan Lal. The initiative to promote water transport between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai was aborted owing to some internal problems. The idea was to operate hovercraft services between the Gateway of India and Belapur, which would cater to south Mumbai businesses. Efforts are on to resume the services.

According to Mohan Lal, the city's progress is based on economic centres. In the heart of the city, a central business district has been developed on 575 hectares. "It is 20 times larger than Nariman Point, the central business district area in south Mumbai," the Chairman said. There are already several economic and government administrative activities concentrated in the area. The Reserve Bank of India, nationalised banks, the Konkan Bhavan, the Cotton Corporation of India and the Konkan Railway have offices there.

The "New Millennium City'' in Navi Mumbai is becoming popular. It forms a major part of the "Knowledge Corridor'' that spans Mumbai and Pune. One of the first projects of CIDCO after it created Navi Mumbai was to build the International Infotech Park at Vashi and the International Technology Park at Belapur. Both are well-equipped Information Technology centres. "The jewel of Navi Mumbai's IT sector is Reliance Infocom's Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City at Koparkhairane,'' says Mohan Lal. The IT companies in Navi Mumbai include Wipro Ltd, CMC, Tata Consultancy Services, Aptech, Track Mail, ICICI Infotech and PCS.






After creating a modern-day city, CIDCO is now moving on to other ventures. The Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone (NMSEZ) and a new international airport are two of its latest projects. NMSEZ, says Mohan Lal, is a deemed foreign territory for the purposes of trade operations, duties and tariffs. "It reflects the latest and perhaps the finest thinking so far on India's export policy and may even present the future of industrial development strategy." The Government of India (GoI) gave its approval in May 2000 for setting up a Special Export Zone (SEZ) in Navi Mumbai and asked the Government of Maharashtra (GoM) to fulfil the criteria laid down in the EXIM policy. The GoM prepared a detailed policy directive regarding the various incentives applicable to SEZs set up in Maharashtra. Incidentally, Maharashtra is the first State to announce such a policy. The GoI granted formal approval to the project in 2002. The GoM then appointed CIDCO as the nodal agency for implementing the NMSEZ project.

A task force was created within CIDCO to implement the SEZ project, in January 2001. The total project area is approximately 4,377 ha. Of this, 1,850 ha is in the Regional Park Zone and is meant for low-intensity development such as housing, golf courses and entertainment facilities. The remaining area of approximately 2,527 ha is meant for industrial activity. About 95 per cent of this land is already in CIDCO's possession.

While Mumbai's Sahar airport is able to handle most of the international air traffic, building a second international airport in Navi Mumbai has become necessary to ease the pressure. CIDCO has reserved land for the project at a strategic location, easily accessible by all modes of transport. After it gets the clearance from the Union Cabinet, CIDCO will undertake work on the airport project. "We aim to complete both the SEZ and the airport by 2007," Mohan Lal says.

Over the past three decades CIDCO, has expanded its horizons beyond Navi Mumbai. It has taken up similar tasks elsewhere in Maharashtra, at New Aurangabad, New Nanded, New Nashik, Waluj Mahanagar, Meghboot-New Nagpir Oras and Vasai-Virar. Having become a premier infrastructure development agency, it has also undertaken consultancy in infrastructure development and planning in Kerala, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh


Palm Beach Expressway, Mumbai-Navi Mumbai.

[kshatriya]

Navi Mumbai sea-link may get Shinde`s nod

IL&FS seen front-runner for the project

Renni Abraham / Mumbai August 06,2004

The six-lane trans-harbour sea link connecting Navi Mumbai with Mumbai city (at Sewri in south Mumbai) is set to become a reality with the proposal awaiting Maharashtra chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s nod.

According to senior government officials, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will be appointed as the nodal agency for the 24-km long project, which will be undertaken on a build operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

The expressions of interest will be invited by next fortnight before the ‘code of conduct’ for the state Assembly elections comes into force.

Infrastructure development institution Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) and MSRDC had expressed interest to construct the sea-link. IL&FS had proposed to construct the project at no cost in lieu of toll rights for 40 years.

The state government had fine-tuned the details of the project at its last meeting held on July 27.

As the nodal agency for the project, MSRDC is out of the race and will issue notices inviting expressions of interest from private consortiums.

IL&FS, among others, is expected to participate in the bidding process. The bidding will be finalised on the basis of the least concessions sought from the state.

“The least concession means, whichever group bids for the project and seeks the least number of years as toll rights and state concessions for constructing the proposed sea-link would become the first choice,” a senior government official said.

Similarly, the state government has stipulated that the ceiling rate for the tolls will be decided on the basis of the wholesale price index.

Unlike what IL&FS had been seeking, the project would now have to be undertaken on a BOT basis.

The Union environment ministry is expected to give the environmental clearance for the Rs 3,600 crore project soon following a meeting held recently between the Central and state government officials.

MSRDC had submitted the environmental impact assessment report for the project to the Union government on November 3, 2003.

According to informed sources, IL&FS and other developers hope to cash in on the realty boom that is bound to follow the completion of the sea-link project.

The project is expected to reduce the travel time between the two cities to less than 30 minutes.

[Ubermensch]

Now this needs to happen. I'm working on a couple of maps.. road and rail for bombay. Will have the proposed, approved and inprogress developments around the city. might be useful for us to monitor progress

also maybe later on when i get a change.. could map the 150+ odd building by areas around the map.. to get us a better understanding of the emerging skyline.

I will be buying property in Bombay is a couple of years.. this map might help

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by Ubermensch

Now this needs to happen. I'm working on a couple of maps.. road and rail for bombay. Will have the proposed, approved and inprogress developments around the city. might be useful for us to monitor progress

also maybe later on when i get a change.. could map the 150+ odd building by areas around the map.. to get us a better understanding of the emerging skyline.

I will be buying property in Bombay is a couple of years.. this map might help

Wish we could take a helicopter ride over Mumbai and take some nice aerial pics. I bet you Mumbai will look amazing from the air. Unfortunately the only good quality aerial of Mumbai I have found is of Dharavi.!!!

[ViMo]

Let's guess....I think Kalptaru Horizon - which is around 25 stories, will cross the 100 mt height mark. That's the conclusion I derive after looking at the jpeg. Anyways, it's sad, nobody in India tabulates the heights of the buildings. Not even the construction companies!

[Ubermensch]

Originally Posted by kshatriya

• Ghatkopar-Mulund Link Road: Company yet to be appointed

This road falls on the eatern express away.. what are they talking about??

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by ViMo

Let's guess....I think Kalptaru Horizon - which is around 25 stories, will cross the 100 mt height mark. That's the conclusion I derive after looking at the jpeg. Anyways, it's sad, nobody in India tabulates the heights of the buildings. Not even the construction companies!

90 mts - 100 mts probably.

[Ubermensch]

Legend
-----------------------------------
Violet - Completed
1) Bandra Reclamation interchange

Blue - Under construction
1) Jogeshwari - Vikhroli
2) Santacruz - Chembur
3) Bandra - Worli Sea Link

Green - Proposed
1) Andheri - Ghatkopar
2) Bandra - Sion link
3) Worli - Colaba Bridge (extension of Bandra - Worli Sea link)
4) Nhava - Sewri Bridge Link
---------------------------------

This is a work in progress so let me know of any additions or mistakes. After I get this one 100% complete I will work on a rail map.

[Suncity]

Why am I getting a security alert with that pic?

:-)

[Ubermensch]

Originally Posted by Suncity

Why am I getting a security alert with that pic?

:-)

Fixed

[Suncity]

Looks good to me.