BMC to relocate 750 slums in the way of tunnel under Sanjay Gandhi National Park

The GMLR project is an ambitious initiative aimed at improving connectivity between Goregaon and Mulund. A key part of this project is a 4.7-km tunnel

MUMBAI: Around 750 slum dwellings from the Amar Nagar slum in Mulund, situated near the compound wall of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), will be demolished by the BMC to make way for the proposed tunnel of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR). The affected residents will be relocated to Bhandup West.

Mumbai, India - September 05, 2024: As new road is being built the residents of the Slum area of Amer nager Mulund West will be relocated ,in Mumbai,in Mumbai, India, on, Thursday, September 05, 2024. ( Praful Gangurde /HT Photo )

The GMLR project is an ambitious initiative aimed at improving connectivity between Goregaon and Mulund. A key part of this project is a 4.7-km tunnel, which begins at Film City in Goregaon and ends in Mulund near the Amar Nagar slum.

A BMC official from the bridges department said that the project-affected persons (PAPs) would get flats measuring around 300 square feet. “The relocation project, which involves constructing 906 flats at Runwal Forest, is already underway,” he said. “The residential complex will have three 23-storey towers with seven wings each. The construction is being carried out by the BMC’s building and construction department, and 21% of the project is already complete.”

Kishore Jain, an Amar Nagar resident who owns both a residential and commercial unit in the slum, confirmed that 1,707 slum dwellers reside in the area. Of these, around 750 have already received notices from the BMC, as they are in the way of the tunnel. However, many residents are uncertain about the exact details of their relocation.

Jain expressed concerns over the relocation process, stating, “We have been living here for over 35 years, and while the BMC has completed the eligibility verification process, they haven’t informed us of our new location yet. Also, we were previously promised 375-square-foot flats, but the current plan only offers 300-square-foot units.” Jain also mentioned that the residents were initially told they would be shifted to Kanjurmarg, but this plan was cancelled after local MP Manoj Kotak intervened and demanded that they be relocated within a three-kilometre radius.

The BMC is pressing forward with the construction of new flats, with a target completion date of June 2025. “For now, we are awaiting clarity on the relocation process,” said Gopilal Kumavat, another resident. “While the eligibility verification has been completed and notices have been issued, some uncertainty remains over the final details of the move, including the size of the flats and specific timelines.”

What is GMLR?

· The GMLR is the most important east-west link in the city.

· It will connect the Western Express Highway at Goregaon to the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) in Mulund under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) through twin tunnels.

· It will commence from Oberoi Mall in Goregaon to the Airoli EEH junction.

· The link road will cut down travel time from east to west from the earlier 90 minutes to 25 minutes.

· The deadline for the completion of twin tunnels is October 2028.