In a bid to alleviate traffic woes in and around the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) area, multiple road development works are underway through the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). TMC has committed to resolving all hurdles related to land acquisition, environmental clearances, tree-related issues, and other challenges hindering these works. Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao has assured that full cooperation will be provided to address these issues immediately.

On Tuesday, a high-level meeting was conducted to review the ongoing traffic improvement projects in Thane and surrounding areas. The meeting, chaired by Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao, included MMRDA Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Ashwin Mudgal, TMC Additional Commissioners Sandeep Malvi and Prashant Rode, Municipal Engineer Prashant Sonagra, Assistant Director of Urban Planning Sangram Kanade, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Pankaj Shirsat, and senior officials from the Municipal Corporation, MMRDA, Mahavitaran, and Public Works Department.

The key topics discussed in the meeting included various ongoing transport projects such as the integration of Ghodbunder Road and Service Road, the Anand Nagar to Saket elevated road, the Balkum to Gaimukh coastal road, and the Kasarvadavali to Kharbao Creek Bridge. Additionally, the relocation of water and sewage channels and environmental clearance challenges faced by TMC were also reviewed.

Other key projects discussed were as follows:

Airoli to Katai Naka Project: A revised proposal for the additional land acquisition required for the elevated road from Airoli to Katai Naka will be submitted to the District Collector’s Office, alongside a revised proposal for funding from the State Government to cover the increased costs. TMC is acquiring 12.59 hectares of land for this road project, originally estimated at Rs. 253 crore. A survey will soon be conducted to determine the additional land requirements and associated costs.

Ghodbunder Road Consolidation: The relocation of power lines by Mahavitaran is expected to be a significant challenge in the project to merge Ghodbunder Road and the Service Road. To address this, Mahavitaran, MMRDA, and TMC will conduct a joint survey within the next eight days, with a plan for the relocation to be prepared promptly.

Discount on Security Deposit for Tree Felling: In line with Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s practices, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao instructed the Parks Department to examine the legal aspects and prepare a proposal to offer MMRDA a discount on the security deposit for tree felling. TMC’s Parks Department will oversee the replanting of affected trees and the planting of new ones, with MMRDA covering the costs, as clarified by MMRDA Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Ashwin Mudgal.

Thane-Borivali Metro Project: The Thane-Borivali metro project will require a substantial 800,000 liters of water daily. In the meeting, it was decided that treated water from TMC’s sewage treatment plant would be provided for the project. Additionally, steps will be taken to relocate the 1500mm water pipeline under the Amrit Jal Yojana.

Gaimukh to Payegaon Creek Bridge: To accelerate the work on the creek bridge from Gaimukh to Payegaon, Ashwin Mudgal directed that a detailed plan for land acquisition, CRZ clearance, forest department approvals, and other regulatory considerations be prepared within the next 15 days.