Coastal road: asset or white elephant?

Apart from ascertaining the socio-economic and environmental ramifications, the state would do well to assess its financial viability and impact on the very ethos of maximum city

The Maharashtra government will do well to assess socio-economic and ecological impact of the proposed 35.6-km Mumbai coastal road, which it is flaunting as its pet project and one that it hopes will provide all the answers to maximum city's congestion problems. Sure, once it is up and running, it will cut down travel time and fuel consumption substantially and, if the administration is to be believed, reduce pollution as well. According to news reports, the state is considering roping in the Dutch to provide state-of-the-art, environmental friendly technology to construct this piece of infrastructure. Despite all this certain issues persist and need to be addressed.

 
Environmental impact

Though the Draft Project Report claims, on the basis of surveys by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the National Institute of Oceanography, that reclamation with an average width of 100 metres will not impact tidal movements or affect the coastline, it must be noted that erosion along Prabhadevi and Versova was largely due to previous reclamation in south Mumbai. Besides, the sea link has reduced a large stretch of beach to a mere strip, due which sea-facing properties in Mahim and Dadar are facing the brunt of the waves during high tide and monsoons.

The coastal road also runs the risk of causing flooding and impeding storm water and sewer drainage, and increasing concretisation is likely to deplete the city's beach stretches and mangroves, and reduce soil retention of rainwater.

Another risk the road poses is the impact on the City's heritage, such as the Haji Ali Dargah, Mahalaxmi Temple and the Portuguese Fort at Bandra. Needless to mention, the livelihood of coastal communities will be hugely impacted with the rapid depletion of proximal fish and crustacean population.

No real gain

The state administration is betting big on the coastal road for it potential to decongest the city and cut down on travel time, pollution and fuel consumption. This, it claims, will also improve overall workforce productivity.

However, while the coastal road has a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) built into it, the project appears to be car-centric and neither caters to mass transport nor provides a tangible low-cost solution. With 18 exits/entries planned along its entire stretch, road will not be unsuitable for buses, which typically halt at regular intervals. Bus commuters will be forced to use taxis or auto rickshaws as feeder services to get to their final destination, meaning that the final cost of commuting will increase.  

The wallet will also get lighter with the toll fee one would have to shell out to maintain and pay for a road that, as of today, is projected to cost Rs. 14,000 crore to build. Consider this: the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, which was projected to carry 65,000 vehicles a day on average, today has 45,000 vehicles, and the toll, which is by far the highest in the state at Rs 10 per km, is inadequate for its maintenance. The coastal road runs the risk of turning out to be a high-maintenance asset like the BWSL, more so because of  the declining commercial significance of south Mumbai in favour of Bandra-Kurla Complex and other suburbs.  

There is another issue. Since the road will come up about 100-200 metres off the coast, the high-tide line would have to be pushed back by that much, paving the way for construction in an already overly congested city. Though the administration talks of open areas and parks between the shoreline and the road, there is a risk that developers will gobble up these spaces, congesting the city further.

Careful evaluation: need of the hour

The state administration would do well to consider the following while implementing the project:

1. South Mumbai is losing out as a preferred business district to Bandra-Kurla Complex, where real estate prices are higher. Besides, other centres along both the western and central lines have opened up in the suburbs for information technology and other industries. A large part of the coastal road seems to be catering to south Mumbai.
2. As mentioned before, it is a Rs. 14,000 crore road, and if state doesn't get its math and marketing on users right, it be saddled with another case of good money going into a bad project.
3. One of the most difficult aspects of the project is the proposed underground tunnels -- one between NCPA in Nariman Point and Priyadarshini Park in Nepean Sea Road, and the other in Juhu, each with a subterranean depth of about 30 meters. Apart from the need assess the geological and engineering challenges, the state would do well to put in place and evacuation plan for people and vehicles in the event of a crisis.
4. And then, of course, there is the issue of parking. Apart from creating adequate parking space, there must be zero tolerance towards illegal parking, which could create severe bottlenecks and impact the long-term viability of the project once it sees the light of day.

The bottom line: While the coastal road could prove to be a boon for the city, it needs to be carefully evaluated for its technical and financial viability, and its impact on the lives of the common citizenry --  as opposed to just a privileged section -- the environment as well as the city's heritage. The administration might want to consider exploring the cheaper and environmentally viable option of water transport, which could work if optimally incentivised. The government might also want to get a grip on earlier road projects, including tunnels, that weren't executed, before taking on a project of such enormity.

The author is a partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas. Views expressed are personal. (gupta.ashoo@gmail.com)