'Queen's Necklace' still awaits its full shine

MUMBAI: Whenever Churchgate resident Heera Matondkar is in town, she never misses her evening walk down Marine Drive. This is especially so during the monsoon. Though she is happy to see the swanky footpath and new median on the drive, its half-done beautification and lack of some civic facilities have upset Matondkar and her neighbours living along the Queen's Necklace.
More than a year after the project to refurbish Marine Drive was handed over to the BMC by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), not a single stone has been moved.It seems to be on the backburner for now.
Except for appointing a consultant to suggest improvements to the main carriageway, BMC officials have been sitting on plans for the Rs 100-crore Phase II of the project, which envisages the construction of subways, landscaped walkways, a breakwater promontory walk facility, an amphitheatre, a food court for chaat lovers and a sunset gallery. For these works, the civic agency has reportedly not yet got environmental clearances.
Phase II also envisages the installation of street furniture, mainly benches and heritage plaques, along the Art Deco buildings on Marine Drive, besides a shelter for existing chaat wallahs at Girgaum Chowpatty under the proposed amphitheatre.
Swarn Kohli, president of the Nariman Point Churchgate Citizens' Association (NPCCA), said the landscaping and installation of dustbins under the first phase are still remaining. "For over one year, nothing is happening and there is no communication from either the MMRDA or the BMC over the half-done Phase I and the entire Phase II,'' she said.
The MMRDA has already spent Rs 26 crore on Phase I, which involved strengthening of the sea-wall, laying paver blocks and pre-cast concrete tiles, flower beds, railings, ducting, landscaping on the footpaths, provision of beach walkways, lighting and construction of shelters for bus commuters.
The main reason for the MMRDA handing over the project to the BMC, as officials put it, is to avoid a clash of opinions among citizens, administration, architects, conservationists and contractors over the line of implementation of the project and also because of the complicated underground network of utility pipelines and ducts.
BMC chief engineer (roads) S V Joshi and executive engineer S M Marathe said they have appointed a consulting firm for the main carriageway development, the report for which is awaited. However, they said they were not aware of any other work under Phase II being done by another department. City engineer A D Manohar, who is also reported to be on the job, was not available for comment.
A year ago, Marine Drive residents were opposed to the project being handed over to the BMC. Chandresh Shah, president of the Marine Drive Residents' Association, had then demanded a blue-print of Phase II in order to study and offer suggestions over implementation but nothing has been done so far.