Mumbai: As the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) readies its plan for the Versova-Bandra sea link, the Indian Navy has advised caution for the development body. The Navy has asked them to keep an eye out on ammunition on the seabed during the construction of the sea link. The advisory came after the development authority went to the Indian Navy to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC). The MSRDC is the nodal agency for construction of sea links on the west coast.
“While giving us the NOC, the Navy informed us to beware of any kind of ammunition. And should it be the case during construction, we have to inform them immediately,” said an MSRDC official, adding, “We will take all the required precautions and we will inform the Navy as soon as we find anything beyond our classification.” The 17.17-km sea link will be constructed at an average of 900 metres from the coast and the farthest portion of the sea link will be about 1.3 km inside the sea at Juhu.
Another official said the subject was not on the agenda but was discussed briefly by Naval officers. “During our presentation, the Navy officials cited previous instances where shells were found while digging and dredging activities undertaken in the sea,” the official said. When contacted, the Navy spokesperson declined to comment on the issue.
In April 2014, a dredging operation off Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in the Arabian Sea led to the discovery of 83 bombshells, several missiles, hand grenades and bullets. Earlier in April, a farmer found a live bomb dating back to World War II while he was tilling his land in Wada, Palghar district. Meanwhile, there are plans to extend the sea link up to Virar. However, the financial viability in terms of traffic may become an issue considering two parallel roads on the same route may not be advisable, an MSRDC official said.