A disaster mgmt plan on cards for Shivaji memorial
MUMBAI: A week after a boat carrying officials to visit the Shivaji Memorial site capsized, killing one person, the state has directed the implementing agency to prepare a comprehensive disaster management plan for the project to avoid any untoward incident in future.
The general administration department (GAD), which proposed the Shivaji Memorial in 1999, has written to the public works department (PWD), which is the implementing agency about the plan. It has directed PWD to change the project design if the need arises, to cater to the disaster management plan.
“We have reminded that the construction activities will be using shipping channel and any accident may badly affect the shipping business,” said a GAD official.
“The design has a rudimentary disaster management plan, which is not sufficient for the project which is being implemented by creating a new island. Similarly, due care will have to be taken to avoid tidal and drone attack in the future,” said the official.
Meanwhile, the state cabinet on Thursday deferred a proposal of administrative approval for the escalation of the project cost from ₹3,533 crore to ₹3,700.48. The addition of ₹168 crore has been proposed towards incidental cost including rise in consultancy fees and minor changes in the material cost.
The proposal is likely to be approved in the next cabinet meeting.
The state has commenced on the construction work of the Shivaji statue, which is expected to be the tallest in the world with a height of 212m.
After the state decided to increase the statue of the Maratha warrior king by 2m and moved a proposal for environment approval from the Centre, the construction cost has increased to ₹2,581 crore.
If one accounts for the goods
and services tax (GST), the cost escalates to ₹2,889 crore. Besides this, including the incidental cost, the cost has now reached ₹3,700.48 crore.