The civic body is going to spend Rs 5.23 crore on the project. (File)After getting permission from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) to prepare a detailed report on the damage to trees, as well as to get final environment clearance, the Brihanmumbai Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has appointed a consultant for its ambitious Gargai dam project.
Last week, a proposal to appoint a consultant was passed in the Standing Committee. The civic body is going to spend Rs 5.23 crore on the project and the consultant is expected to prepare a detailed report on damage to trees due to dam water and submit a report to MoEF and Palghar district collectorate office to get the necessary permissions. The work is going to be completed in the next two years.
A senior official from the Water Supply Project department said, “Due to the dam project, about 1,100 hectares area will be affected. Over 1,000 families will have to move out of the dam site in Palghar district. The project will give additional 850 million litres water daily to the city. Once the dam is constructed, about 700 hectares of Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary will be affected. Considering these things, we will need to prepare a report for environment clearance.”
An official added, “The dam will affect thousands of trees as they all will go under water. The consultant will prepare a report on what kind of trees and how many will be affected. The extent of environment damage will also be assessed. The consultant will be responsible for getting the permission from Palghar collector office and environment ministry.”
