June 3, 2025: Mumbai’s Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project has reached a crucial milestone with the formal transfer of 19.43 hectares of land from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Approved by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), this clearance marks a major step forward for Phase III of the 12.2 km-long east-west corridor aimed at reducing congestion in the city’s northern suburbs.
This phase includes twin tunnels stretching 4.7 km beneath SGNP, entirely underground at depths ranging from 20 to 160 metres. Civic authorities insist the park’s surface ecology will remain untouched. The land will remain legally classified as forest land under Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. In line with environmental obligations, the state has committed to compensatory afforestation across 19.5 hectares of non-forest land in Chandrapur district.
Engineered with modern tunnelling technologies, the project promises robust safety features—air purification, CCTV monitoring, emergency exits every 300 metres, and dedicated utility corridors. Once operational, it is expected to reduce the current 75-minute commute between east and west Mumbai to just 25 minutes, while cutting annual carbon emissions by an estimated 22,400 tonnes.
Currently, east-west travel relies on overburdened routes like JVLR and SCLR. The GMLR tunnel’s sub-surface route avoids congested areas and sensitive ecological zones, offering a long-term solution to the city’s traffic woes.
Environmental concerns persist, with activists warning of potential harm to SGNP’s underground water systems and biodiversity. Officials claim thorough environmental assessments have been conducted and mitigation measures will be enforced. With land transfer complete, BMC will now move towards procurement and civil works—signalling a bold, if contested, shift in Mumbai’s infrastructure planning.
Source: Urban Acres
