Third Mumbai, a new city, will be
developed after the Maharashtra Government finalised a broad skeletal proposal
for developing. The city will provide better housing, infrastructure and robust
transport facilities to the growing population of the Mumbai Metropolitan
Region or MMR.
The city is proposed around the Navi
Mumbai International Airport which will be connected to Mumbai by the important
connector Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, also known as
Mumbai Trans Harbour Link-MTHL.
The State Government insider confirmed
this proposal was given a go-ahead last week.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region
Development Authority or MMRDA is likely to get the mandate for reshaping the
far ends of MMR for which a body called New Town Development Authority-NTDA has
been formed.
Portions of Ulwe, Pen, Panvel, Uran,
Karjat and surrounding regions encompassing an area of 323 sq kms will be part
of NTDA.
There will be close to 200 villages,
including 80-90 villages coming under the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence
Notified Area (NAINA) that are likely to be part of NTDA.
“We are calling it the Third Mumbai,
which will have all the necessary infrastructure that a well-developed city
should have. From residential (luxury and affordable), commercial complexes,
data centres, hubs for MNCs and banks, and financial companies to large
knowledge parks; it will have everything. A robust public transportation shall
also be developed there,” said a government official.
This city will further boost economic
activity and contribute to the country’s GDP.
“There is a plan to develop a second BKC
in Kharghar. Around 150 hectares of land is expected to be available for
developing it into a purely commercial area that would attract both Indian
companies and MNCs,” said a government official.
The government already has plans to
develop MMR that will generate potential to touch a US$ 0.25 trillion economy.
Mumbai city covers approx 600 sq kms of area, Navi Mumbai around 344 sq kms
while Naina is on 370 sq kms area with 174 villages.
Sources shared the MMRDA and the
country’s planning agency of NITI Aayog are jointly working towards taking steps
to raise Mumbai’s gross domestic product from the existing $140 billion to $300
billion by 2030, of which the proposed Third Mumbai is an important part of the
same. An economic masterplan for MMR is also being prepared.
Both the MTHL and Navi Mumbai
International Airport are further expected to enhance Bharat’s GDP by 1
percentage point.
The proposed airport is expected to be
launched in December next year which will not only alleviate pressure on Mumbai
airport but also enhance regional connectivity. The first phase is expected to
handle 20 million passengers yearly.
Meanwhile, in a bid to strengthen public
transportation, a new Panvel-Karjat suburban rail corridor has been planned by
Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation-MRVC at a cost of ₹812 crore.
The project work was completed 43 per
cent and it will be ready by December 2025.
The rail project involves three tunnels
and two rail flyovers covering five railway stations including Panvel and
Karjat.
At least, 57 hectares of private land
has been acquired, besides 4.4 hectares of government land for it. The project
also needs 9.13 hectares of forest land for which permissions are in.
The MRVC has begun the work of building
stations at Panvel, Chikhale, Mohape, Chowk and Karjat.
The new corridor will connect Navi
Mumbai with Raigad district of MMR. It will act as a catalyst for the
development of Panvel, Karjat, Naina and the proposed NTDA. It will allow local
trains to run between Mumbai and Karjat via Panvel.
NE Watch Desk
