+
Final Forest Clearance Secured for Goregaon Mulund Link Road Tunnels
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

Final Forest Clearance Secured for Goregaon Mulund Link Road Tunnels

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.

Once completed, the GMLR is expected to slash travel time between Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs from 75 minutes to just 25 minutes. The project is scheduled for completion by October 2028. 

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.Once completed, the GMLR is expected to slash travel time between Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs from 75 minutes to just 25 minutes. The project is scheduled for completion by October 2028. 

Next Story
Real Estate

No glass boxes!

India is moving away from the ‘glass box’ syndrome, all-glass façades that were widely used in commercial buildings in the last two decades but came at a significant environmental cost given the country’s predominantly hot and humid climate. Poor thermal performance, excessive heat gain and dependency on mechanical cooling systems made buildings with glass façades energy guzzlers and significantly increased their carbon footprint.That said, it’s important to be aware that “glass is not the enemy,” points out Heena Bhargava, Architect, Architecture Discipline. “How it ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Why do pavements fail?

India’s highways continue to expand at a healthy pace. But conversations on the surface quality of highways are growing louder because major deficiencies and black spots continue to be identified, and they are cause for concern.“Road surface roughness causes vehicle vibrations that, in turn, can affect the performance of drivers,” explains Dr V K Gahlot, Road Safety Auditor, Centre for Research and Sustainable Development (CfRSD). “Continuous exposure may induce fatigue, a contributory factor to road accidents. Road surface roughness also affects the vehicle operating cost...

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

APAC Logistics Rents Fall for First Time Since 2020

Logistics rents across the Asia-Pacific region declined 0.4% year-on-year in H1 2025, marking the first annual drop since 2020, according to Knight Frank’s Logistics Highlights H1 2025 report. Despite global trade tensions and cautious occupier sentiment, India emerged as a standout performer, driven by robust manufacturing momentum and supply chain recalibration.Regional Trends and DivergenceWhile rents largely remained stable across most markets, regional differences became more pronounced:Mainland China continued to see rental declines, though the pace of decline moderated to 12.8% YoY, s..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?