Rs14.2k crore Trans Harbour Link to be ready by 2022
The ambitious Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) work on which started in April this year, will be completed by 2022, said Japanese consul-general in Mumbai Ryoji Noda on Wednesday.
For the 22-km six-lane bridge along the Mumbai harbour to the mainland providing direct access to the upcoming new international airport and the MumbaiPune Expressway, Japan is a partner with a commitment of Rs9,000 crore or nearly 65 per cent of the estimated project cost of Rs14,260 crore, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Besides the MTHL, Japan has committed Rs4,500 crore for the 33.5-km-long Metro Phase 3 running from Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ, for which 5.1 kms of underground tunneling work has just been completed, as per an announcement by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation.
The line, with 27 stations enroute, is expected to be completed by December 2021. Referring to the Bullet Train project being constructed with Japanese assistance, Noda said, “the high-speed rail project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is important for us (Japan)”.
Speaking at a convention organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Mumbai, he said the project would ensure trust and safety of the users, responsible and timely disbursement in construction and safety net around the same. Estimated to cost Rs1.1 lakh crore ($16b), the work on the Bullet Train project has already been initiated in Maharashtra and Gujarat, creating a huge controversy with strong resistance from various quarters.
The Japanese diplomat added India has already received an assistance of Rs22,000 crore under Japan’s Overseas Development Assistance, making it the largest beneficiary, with Mumbai as one of the focus areas, adding his country would support India in various fields –investments, technology transfer and handling air, water, sea pollution besides managing urban waste. “There are estimates that Mumbai is expected to be the highest populated city of the world in the highly populated country in 2032,” Noda said.