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The Union Environment Ministry has granted final clearance for forest land transfer to build twin tunnels under Mumbai's Sanjay Gandhi National Park, part of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project. The 4.7 km tunnels, costing 6,500 crore, will connect Goregaon's Film City to Mulund's Khindipada by 2028. Built 20-160 meters underground, they'll include safety systems, utility ducts, and control rooms. Despite diverting 19.43 hectares of forest, no trees will be affected, and afforestation will be done in Chandrapur district. Extensive environmental studies guided the project. Once completed, the tunnels will cut cross-city travel time from 75 to 25 minutes and lower carbon emissions by over 22,000 tonnes annually.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has recently granted final approval for the transfer of specific forest land. This decision concerns the construction of twin tunnels beneath Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai, aiming to advance a major infrastructure project designed to improve cross-city connectivity. The approval allows for the diversion of a designated area of protected land for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR). Advertisement
This final clearance paves the way for construction of the GMLR's twin tunnels. The overall GMLR project spans approximately 12.2 kilometers and is divided into four phases. Phase III includes the construction of the main flyover and these twin tunnels. The tunnels themselves are 4.7 kilometers long each, running beneath SGNP in Borivali and connecting Film City in Goregaon to Khindipada (Amar Junction) in Mulund. They will be built at depths ranging from 20 to 160 meters underground, featuring cross-passages every 300 meters.
These tunnels will be equipped with modern features such as advanced lighting, ventilation, fire safety systems, CCTV surveillance, and control rooms at both ends. They will also incorporate utility ducts for stormwater drainage and potential water pipelines. The overall GMLR project is estimated to cost around INR 14,000 crore, with approximately INR 6,500 crore specifically earmarked for the twin tunnels. Construction of the tunnels is expected to be completed by October 2028.
The approval for diverting 19.43 hectares of reserved forest land from SGNP to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was granted under Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Despite the land transfer, its legal status remains classified as forest land.
Authorities confirm that the tunnel alignment ensures no impact on the park's surface or its trees, as the tunnel will begin and end outside the physical boundaries of SGNP. As a mitigation measure for the diverted forest land, an afforestation plan is underway: the BMC will plant trees on 19.5 hectares of non-forest land in Chandrapur district, specifically 14.95 hectares in Vasanvihira village and 4.55 hectares in Gondmohadi village.
The project has undergone extensive studies, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), environmental and biological studies by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), as well as engineering, geotechnical, and hydrological studies. The tunnel alignment was specifically designed to run between the Tulsi and Vehar lakes, with hydrological studies addressing groundwater flow simulation.
BMC officials confirmed that compliance procedures are underway as per the Ministry's stipulated terms. The project's foundation stone was laid on July 13, 2024. TBM components have already arrived at port, and assembly is expected to take about six months before the machines are launched. Once operational, the GMLR is projected to reduce travel time between Mumbai's eastern and western suburbs from 75 minutes to just 25 minutes. This will ease traffic congestion, save fuel, and reduce annual carbon emissions by an estimated 22,400 tonnes.
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