Over a year after receiving in-principle (Stage I) approval, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) on Tuesday granted the final clearance for the diversion of 19.43 hectares of forest land at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

This crucial clearance paves the way for the construction of the twin tunnels forming part of the ambitious Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project.

Valued at nearly Rs 6.5 billion, the GMLR aims to reduce traffic congestion by connecting Goregaon in Mumbai’s western suburbs to Mulund in the east. Central to the project are the 6.65-kilometre twin tunnels that will begin near Film City in the west and emerge near Mulund’s Amar Junction, an area currently known for a large slum settlement.

These tunnels will run beneath SGNP, traversing complex terrain comprising hillocks, forested areas, and farmland. Since the project involves construction through protected forest land, the state government had sought approval from the Union ministry.

The MOEFCC granted in-principle approval on 2 January 2024, following a thorough examination of the proposal. The final approval was issued under Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

Stage I approval marks the initial step in permitting diversion of forest land for non-forest uses, followed by the mandatory Stage II clearance.

Officials clarified that although the forest land parcel has been transferred to the BMC, it retains its legal status as forest land. The tunnel, set at depths between 20 to 160 metres beneath the park, is not expected to impact any trees during construction.

In compliance with the Forest Conservation Act, the BMC has formulated an alternative afforestation plan. Plantation and maintenance activities will be carried out over more than 19.5 hectares of non-forest land in Chandrapur district to compensate for the acquired forest area.

Situated within an ecologically sensitive zone, the GMLR project underwent multiple assessments, including an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), environmental and biological studies by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), as well as engineering and geotechnical surveys. Given that the tunnel lies between the Tulsi and Vehar lakes, detailed hydrological studies were also conducted.