Wait for Sahar Elevated Road just got longer

MMRDA says the crucial project, which was supposed to be completed by the end of this month, will take at least six more months owing to rehabilitation issues

Commuters' dreams of hassle-free travel to the international airport via the Sahar Elevated Road will take at least another six months to come to fruition. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has confirmed that the 2-km project, which was supposed to be completed this month, will be delayed owing to rehabilitation issues of project-affected people (PAP) in the Sahar area. In January, the authority had said that 70 per cent of the work on the project was complete and that it would be thrown open to commuters by the end of May.


Slumming it out: The shanties below the Sahar elevated road will
delay the project by six months as many living there are not eligible
for rehabilitation. Pic/Rane Ashish

Speaking to MiD DAY yesterday, however, MMRDA Commissioner Rahul Asthana said, "We were confident of throwing open the 2-km long crucial Sahar Elevated Road to commuters by May end, but the project will now be delayed due to rehabilitation issues of PAP." A highly placed source in the MMRDA said the project would, in all probability, be delayed by more than six months. "Although the official stand is that the project will take six more months to complete, the rehabilitation issue is going to take longer to sort out. There are many people who do not fit into the criteria for rehabilitation set by the MMRDA," he said.

The relocation of nearly 150 people staying in Rajaramwa-dai, Bananwadai, Ambedkar Nagar and Sambhaji Nagar is delaying the project as work is still remaining in these areas. "We are confident of solving the rehabilitation issue and a proposal to include some more criteria like ration card and driving licence has been sent to the government. Some people don't have old documents but have been staying in these areas for more than 15 years. We have requested the government to consider their case so that a major hurdle can be cleared," said an MMRDA official working on the project.

Project details
The six-lane elevated approach road will have four entry and two exit points. The length of the proposed road is 2 km and the cost of project is Rs 287.37 crore. It is being funded under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The elevated road will help ease traffic congestion at Bahar Junction under the Andheri flyover and Sahar Road and will provide relief to air travellers who struggle to reach the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on time because of traffic congestion.

Rs 287 cr The approximate cost of the project