Navi Mumbai Corp draws up Rs 2,600cr plan

Project to focus on improving connectivity between Mumbai and satellite towns.

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation ((NMMC) has prepared a Rs 2600-crore city development plan, which focuses on improving the connectivity with Mumbai and satellite towns of the metropolis like Kalyan and Vasai.

The corporation has expressed the hope of getting grants from the central and state governments under the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) to execute the plan.

The plan will be tabled before the general body on Tuesday for its approval. Once it gets nod from the general body as well the state government, the plan would be submitted to the Centre for final approval, said Navi Mumbai's municipal commissioner Madukar Kokate.

Under the connectivity improvement scheme, the ring railway route has been proposed by upgrading the existing rail network as well as laying the new line.

The plan envisages connecting Navi Mumbai with Kalyan via Diva, and laying of Thane-Vashi-Kurla-Thane ring route on the suburban railway.

The plan also envisages extension of the present suburban trains up to Uran instead of stopping it at Panvel as it would provide faster and cheaper access to those who work at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

Besides, the plan talks of four-laning the route between Mankhurd and Belapur to ensure higher frequency on the harbour-suburban route.

Ferry service has also been envisaged between Vasai and Belapur to facilitate direct connectivity of Navi Mumbai with the western suburbs of the city.

The proposed ferry service would have stops at Vashi, Nerul, Airoli, Thane and Ghodbandar.

The plan stresses the need for a third bridge on Thane creek to connect Kannmwarnagar in Mumbai with Koparkhairane in Navi Mumbai, which would provide easy access to the residents of Navi Mumabi with the western suburbs of the city via roadway.

Kokate said, "We have prepared a detailed city development plan, which is a pre requisite for securing grants under NURM.

However, the bigger challenge before us is to convince the Centre for grants under NURM as municipal corporations in Thane district like NMMC, Mira-Bhyander and Kalyan-Dombivali have not been included in the list of cities eligible for grants under the scheme".

According to him, though the cities are part of the Mumbai Metropolitin Region only for administrative purposes, they are separate municipal corporations.