Sanjay Gandhi National Park: MSRDC seeks land for road development

31 May 2021 CW Team

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has asked for 8.8 hectares of forest land from Sanjay Gandhi National Park for a Rs 510 crore road project.

The state road corporation aims to utilise 8.8 hectares of forest land from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) for the construction of an elevated carriageway along with the Thane-Ghodbunder highway. If this land is allotted, Mumbai's green region could shrink further.

According to the sources, MSRDC is executing a Rs 510 crore project that has reached the Union Environment Ministry to redirect an area of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, as big as Oval Maidan.

According to the activists, SGNP has the world's highest density of leopards which is always under threat.

Ghodbunder is one of the main roadways from Thane, connecting the Eastern Express Highway on one end and the Western Express Highway on the other end. The roadway carries a significant load of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust bound traffic to and from Gujarat. A stretch of the road adjoining the SGNP and the Vasai creek.

MSRDC wants to build a 4.8 km long elevated road to upgrade the Ghodbunder road. For additional area, it requested the government to divert 8.84 hectares of forest land from the project, worrying the activists and environmentalists.

Rohit Joshi, an environmentalist, said that the authorities have arranged multiple projects that menace the leopard movement.

Joshi said that there are enough roads to reach the western end from Thane. There is even an underground road authorised by SGNP. According to him, the road project is unnecessary. Joshi further added that it showed how the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is serious about protecting their wildlife.

Some activists believe that the government must take an initiative to reduce the impact of infrastructure on SGNP's ecosystem.

Image Source

Also read: CIDCO earmarks reserve price of land in Navi Mumbai for FY22

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has asked for 8.8 hectares of forest land from Sanjay Gandhi National Park for a Rs 510 crore road project. The state road corporation aims to utilise 8.8 hectares of forest land from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) for the construction of an elevated carriageway along with the Thane-Ghodbunder highway. If this land is allotted, Mumbai's green region could shrink further. According to the sources, MSRDC is executing a Rs 510 crore project that has reached the Union Environment Ministry to redirect an area of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, as big as Oval Maidan. According to the activists, SGNP has the world's highest density of leopards which is always under threat. Ghodbunder is one of the main roadways from Thane, connecting the Eastern Express Highway on one end and the Western Express Highway on the other end. The roadway carries a significant load of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust bound traffic to and from Gujarat. A stretch of the road adjoining the SGNP and the Vasai creek. MSRDC wants to build a 4.8 km long elevated road to upgrade the Ghodbunder road. For additional area, it requested the government to divert 8.84 hectares of forest land from the project, worrying the activists and environmentalists. Rohit Joshi, an environmentalist, said that the authorities have arranged multiple projects that menace the leopard movement. Joshi said that there are enough roads to reach the western end from Thane. There is even an underground road authorised by SGNP. According to him, the road project is unnecessary. Joshi further added that it showed how the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is serious about protecting their wildlife. Some activists believe that the government must take an initiative to reduce the impact of infrastructure on SGNP's ecosystem. Image Source Also read: CIDCO earmarks reserve price of land in Navi Mumbai for FY22

Real Estate

02 Apr 2026

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

Infrastructure Transport

02 Apr 2026

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Technology

02 Apr 2026

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..