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Published : Mar 25, 2005 00:00 IST

The container terminal of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. - SHASHI ASHIWAL

The container terminal of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. - SHASHI ASHIWAL

Maharashtra has taken up infrastructure building in a big way in order to recapture the number one position in the country in terms of industrial investment.

TWO months ago, Maharashtra's plans to regain its position as numero uno among the States in the country were on full display at a government-organised meeting of non-resident Indians (NRIs). The greatest concern of would-be investors was the deteriorating infrastructure in the State. So the Maharashtra government decided to focus on infrastructure development. In a further boost to the State, the Union Budget has given the green light to some of the largest infrastructure projects.

Until a few years ago, Maharashtra was consistently the number one State with regard to industries, industrial facilities and infrastructure. Then, sometime in the 1980s, the State slipped back, and ever since it has been fighting to regain its old position.

In many respects it is close to achieving success. The first attempts to remedy the problems of traffic and congestion were initiated about 10 years ago with the construction of 55 flyovers. Realising the limitations of surface transport, the State has been exploring the possibilities of water, sub-surface and elevated transport schemes.

In an effort to attract businesses into the State, Maharashtra has unveiled a grand infrastructure plan. On the positive side, there is no dearth of ideas. They range from the 30-year-old Mumbai Metro project - a bold venture that proposes to drill deep into the volcanic bedrock of Mumbai - to the passenger water transport projects which would be practical for the island city if only the exorbitant fares were reconsidered.

Practical considerations force one to take another look at some of the proposed projects. At the top of the list is the oldest project on the anvil - the Mumbai Metro. Mumbai is the only mega city in the world with a public transport model of 88 per cent. This means that rail and bus services share 88 per cent of the transport load. Though an admirable feat for a city of over 17 million people, it is also a huge burden on the existing public transport. Inadequate capacities and overcrowding have resulted in a decline in the Mass Transit Share. This, in turn, has meant an increase in the number of private vehicles on the road.

With a view to providing a rail-based Mass Transit System and a Supplement Suburban Rail System, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) appointed the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation to prepare a master plan for the Mumbai Metro. After conducting a detailed study of alternative networks and scenarios, the corporation recommended a master plan network of 147 km, of which 33 km would be underground and 114 km elevated. The entire project would be carried out in three phases from 2005 to 2021.

As expected, the project is likely to be phenomenally expensive. Just the first phase, which will cover 64 km, is estimated to cost Rs. 8,180 crores. Part of this is proposed as a public-private partnership (PPP) and global bids were invited in August last year. The MMRDA says the response was encouraging, with more than 38 firms expressing interest in the project. The project has many benefits. About 90 per cent of the population will be covered by the rail-based system, thereby easing the load on other modes of transport. The existing suburban rail system will be relieved of about 30 per cent of its burden, as will be the existing public bus services.

Another ambitious project for the city is the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. This envisages the construction of road overbridges and pedestrian subways, the improvement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the railway stations area, the creation of area-specific traffic management systems, and the improvement of the computer-controlled traffic system. The operating period of the project is from 2002 to 2008, and it is estimated to cost about Rs.400 crores.

With financing for the MUTP being a major issue, the Central government has entered into an agreement with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association to finance the project. The Municipal Corporation has entered into a subsidiary loan agreement with the State government and the MMRDA to execute the schemes under the MUTP. The project has been mired in various controversies ranging from objections by human rights groups to the clearing of slums for widening of roads and tracks, to disagreements between citizen's groups and MUTP consultants about what is right for the city. However, an official said the project benefits are so great that these hurdles have been overcome and the project is, literally, on track.

The third major city project is the construction of the western freeway sea link. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is already constructing a road bridge from the suburb of Bandra to Worli, which is halfway down the island's coast, and then to the southern section of Nariman Point. The bridge is expected to ease the congestion on the roads. However, many doubts remain about the dispersal of the traffic that moves at high speed over the bridge but would suddenly encounter heavy traffic once it is back on land. The prospects of such bottlenecks have put a damper on the project. On the eastern shore there is the Trans-Harbour Link, a 22-km oversea road bridge, which will link the island city to the mainland. It has always been a matter of great amazement to visiting foreign consultants that Mumbai has never maximised its use of water transport. The MSRDC proposes to develop passenger transport to connect the northern and southern points of the city on both sides of the island. The main challenge will be to keep fares competitive so that the ferries are utilised by the public.

There are also plans to improve the port infrastructure. The Mumbai Port Trust, the second oldest port authority in the country, has conceived a project to build offshore container berths as well as a new container terminal. The project is large, with the berths accommodating vessels of 4,500 TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) and a quay length that is expected to extend to 1,050 metres. The terminal will be operated on a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis and is estimated to cost Rs.900 crores. So far there has been great enthusiasm for this project from foreign and Indian port developers. A port official said that 24 companies had picked up tender documents and many more were applying.

Across the harbour, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) is also undergoing expansion. The JNPT authorities anticipate a rise in container traffic to the extent of 6.8 million TEU in another 10 years. A fourth terminal will be required to handle the extra load. A terminal for handling marine chemicals and liquefied natural gas (LNG) is also in the offing.

IN a holistic move, two other projects, for sewage treatment and water supply, have also been conceived. With the official figure for the city's population being over a crore, water is understandably one of the biggest concerns of Mumbai's Municipal Corporation. A 102-metre-high dam is being planned in Thane district across the Vaitarna river, anticipating a growth in Mumbai's growing population. Likewise, a gigantic sewage disposal and slum sanitation programme is also on the cards. The project also has an element of social justice, as sanitation facilities are planned for the 1,959 slum colonies in the city with a combined population of about 62.5 lakhs.

The MMRDA also plans to improve inter-city transport facilities by constructing a new inter-city bus terminal of international standards. Planned to cater to State transport and private bus operators, the terminal will offer 75 to 100 platforms and parking for over 400 vehicles.

While the advantages of this venture are obvious, there are also certain issues that the planners will have to keep in mind. At present, State transport buses are the only affordable means of travel for lakhs of people. Providing new international-level facilities should not in any way hamper the masses' access to transportation. Supporting the modernisation of State transport bus travel is the Integrated Road Development Projects of the MSRDC, which has undertaken the upgradation of the road network of nine cities in the State. To popularise the projects among prospective operators, the MSRDC says opportunities exist for investors who would like to secure these projects and manage them during the concession period.

A new international passenger and cargo airport is being planned in Nagpur. This not only will serve national traffic, but is also being projected as a major hub for the Asian region, connecting the Far East with West Asia.

With all these projects on the cards, the government is out to convince potential investors that the State, and especially Mumbai, does not have an `infrastructure deficit'.

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