1.

PROJECT SCOPE STATEMENT

The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), also known as the Sewri-Nhava Sheva
Trans Harbour Link, is an under-construction 22.8 km, freeway grade Road Bridge
connecting the Indian city of Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, its satellite city. When
completed, it would be the longest sea bridge in India

• The Mumbai Trans Harbor Link a new 22.8 k.m sea crossing Bridge, it is the
important part of development.

• The bridge will provide a crucial upgrade of the infrastructure connecting South
Mumbai with and is expected to cut travel time by an hour.

• Furthermore, the link will connect to Nhava Sheva Port, Mumbai-Goa Highway,
Mumbai-Pune Expressway, and the Upcoming Navi Mumbai International
Airport.

2. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND ASSOCIATED CRITERIA FOR

PROJECT SUCCESS

The proposed Mumbai Trans Harbour Link will therefore serve not only as an
economic gateway to Navi Mumbai but also a panacea for the problems being faced by
Mumbai. Navi Mumbai would therefore emerge as a vibrant satellite city to Mumbai in
the same way as Gurgaon and Noida have emerged as satellites to New Delhi.

A number of developmental initiatives have been proposed in the Navi Mumbai region
that will not only give rise to additional traffic movement, but also accentuate the need
for greater economic integration of Mumbai Island with Mainland Mumbai. Some of
the key infrastructure facilities proposed and / or already developed are as follows.

 Savings in travel times for commuters from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.

 Improved comfort and accessibility between the island and the mainland.
 Reduced operating costs of vehicles due to lesser congestion.
 Accelerated growth of Navi Mumbai.
 Smooth traffic flow from Navi Mumbai airport to Mumbai Island.

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3. CUSTOMER/PROJECT SPONSOR
 The Owner for the MTHL is Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development
Authority (MMRDA)
 MMRDA has awarded contracts to a consortium of Larsen and Tourbro
(L&T) and Japan’s of IHI Corporation, a consortium of Daweoo and Tata
Projects Limited (TPL), and L&T to construct the Sewri side of Sea bridge
(Package 1), the Nave Mumbai side of Sea Bridge (Package 2), and the bridge
portion on land towards Chirle (Package 3).
 The MMRDA chose to use steel spans in these sections to eliminate the need
to construct pillars to support the bridge which could hinder the movement of
ships in the area.

Have emerged as the lowest bidders for two construction packages for the Rs 17,750-
crore Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project. The first and second packages are both
for the portion of the sea link that will be over the water.

4. STATUS OF PROJECT AS ON DATE: ONGOING

The idea for the link was first mooted in 1963 by Wilber Smith and Associates
when they were commissioned the task of transportation and traffic planning for
Greater Mumbai. Named Uran Bridge then, the agency mooted the idea even as they
were unsure of traffic and it was abandoned in 1981 after the success of Vashi Bridge
connecting Mankhurd and Vashi in Navi Mumbai.

The proposal was revived only in 2004 after Navi Mumbai’s development
moved into top gear and even the two bridges between Mankhurd and Vashi began
seeming inadequate for smooth traffic flow. Infrastructure Leasing & Financial
Services (IL&FS) moved a proposal to build the link, but again, for mysterious
reasons, the proposal went back into cold storage.
In 2005, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC)
began inviting fresh bids for the project. A consortium of Anil Ambani-led Reliance

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Energy (REL) and Hyundai Engineering Construction Company quoted a concession
period of 9 years 11 months against 75 years quoted by Mukesh Ambani’s Sea King
Infrastructure. MSRDC deemed both bids by the Ambanis as unrealistic, ending the
process inconclusively in 2008.
Though the bids were invited again in 2008, the feud between the ruling
Congress and the NCP resulted in none of the 13 companies who had shown interest
turn up to submit bids. Around this time, responsibility for the project was
transferred from the MSRDC to the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development
Authority (MMRDA). Three years later in 2011, MMRDA appointed consultants for
techno-feasibility studies for a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Things started
moving faster after 2012. Environment clearances had lapsed, and another year had
to be spent until they were re-issued in 2012. The Department of Economic Affairs
recommended granting Rs 1,920 crore for the project, and Coastal Regulation Zone
clearances arrived in 2013 with a nod from the Centre. However, the Jawaharlal
Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) now wanted the link to be constructed at a height of 51
meters instead of 25 meters to enable movement of huge ships. In parallel, bidders
shortlisted in 2012 started withdrawing owing to “government apathy” and the
model was scrapped.
In 2013, the MMRDA decided to go ahead on a cash-contract basis with the
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) expressing interest in funding the
project. In June, 2014, JNPT also agreed to pick up a stake. After the BJP came to
power, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made it a priority. However, time was lost
when Union Ports minister Nitin Gadkari favored an underground link while
Fadnavis supported the traditional design. However, after the clearances arrived
from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the
forest department, and JICA agreed to extend a loan of 80 per cent of cost, and the
foundation stone was finally laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Dec 24,
2016.Environmental activists however, had been crying foul over the effect on the
Sewri mud-flats which attract migratory flamingos and the alignment was
consequently changed and construction began in April 2018. Currently, around 10
per cent of the 21.8 km long 6-lane freeway grade Road Bridge is completed, with
the project cost expected to hit Rs 13,400 crore.

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5. PROJECT COMPLETION SCHEDULES: (PROPOSED/ACTUAL)

The idea for the link was first mooted in 1963 by Wilber Smith and Associates
when they were commissioned the task of transportation and traffic planning for
Greater Mumbai.

The MMRDA awarded contracts for the project in November 2017, construction
began in April 2018, and is scheduled to complete within four-and-a-half years. The
MMRDA estimates that 70,000 vehicles will use the bridge daily after it opens.

6. SUMMARY OF ECONOMIC PARAMETERS: ESTIMATED INVESTMENT,

ACTUAL INVESTMENT TILL DATE, ROI.

The cost of the MTHL has increased several times. In 2005, the cost of the
project was estimated at ₹4,000 crore(equivalent to ₹100 billion or US$1.4 billion in
2018). The cost was revised to ₹6000 crore in 2008. It was then increased to ₹8800
crore in November 2011 and to ₹9360 crore in August 2012. The MMRDA re-evaluated
the cost project as about ₹11,000 crore (US$1.5 billion) at 2014 prices. In April 2017,
the project cost was estimated at ₹17,843 crore (US$2.5 billion), which includes ₹70
crore compensation to fishermen, ₹45 crore for installing noise barriers after opening
the sea link, a ₹25 crore deposit as seed money to mangrove fund, another ₹25 crore for
a compensatory mangrove restoration plan, and a mandatory expenditure of at least
₹335 crore for an "environment management programme".[ In July 2017, the MMRDA
announced that it would provide a one-time payment of ₹5.68 lakh (US$7,900) to each
fisherman affected by the project. The agency received over 3,000 claims for
compensation, and it will award payments to genuine claimants after screening the
claims.

JICA will fund 85% of the total cost through a loan at a concessional rate of yen-
London Interbank Offered Rate plus 0.1% for the project activities, and 0.01% for
consulting services, with a 30-year repayment period, including a 10-year grace period.
JICA and the MMRDA signed the agreement to disburse the first tranche of the loan on
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31 March 2017. The first tranche of ₹7,910 crore (US$1.1 billion) is about 45% of the
total project cost. The MMRDA will bear 1.2% of the project cost, and the remaining
amount will be borne by the State Government The MMRDA allocated ₹1,200 crore
(US$170 million) towards the project in its budget for the 2017-18 fiscal.

Prior to the submission of bids for the project, the MMRDA estimated the project
cost at ₹14,137 crore (US$2.0 billion). The actual contract for the project was awarded
to three bidders at a combined cost of ₹14,262 crore (US$2.0 billion) in November
2017.[114] MMRDA officials stated that they expected the cost to reduce by 6% as a
result of the Union Government's decision to lower the goods and services tax (GST)
for construction work from 18% to 12%. The revised cost of the contract would now be
₹13,400 crore (US$1.9 billion).

ROI

In 2012, the MMRDA proposed tolls for the MTHL as ₹175 for cars, ₹265 for
light commercial vehicles, ₹525 for buses and trucks and ₹790 for heavy axle vehicles.
JICA, the primary source of funding the project, proposed higher tolls in 2016. The toll
rates levied after the project opens in 2021 is expected to be much higher due to cost
escalations.

•Savings in travel times for commuters from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.

•Improved comfort and accessibility between the island and the mainland.

•Reduced operating costs of vehicles due to lesser congestion.

•Accelerated growth of Navi Mumbai.

•Smooth traffic flow from Navi Mumbai airport to Mumbai Island.

Indirect Benefits from MTHL

•Rationalization of real estate prices in Greater Mumbai

•Increased demand for and better utilisation of land in Navi Mumbai

•Accelerated economic development of Navi Mumbai and nearby regions

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•Greater economic integration of Mumbai island with Navi Mumbai and extended
regions of Pune, Panvel and Alibaug

•Environmental improvement and reduced pollution levels

•Improved safety due to reduction in accidents

• Improvement in trade and trade competitiveness through faster and improved logistics

7. PRELIMINARY STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS: (PROJECT

SPONSOR/PROJECT TEAM/MONITORING AGENCY/IMPLEMENTING
AGENCY, ETC)

February 2016, JICA agreed to loan 80% of the total cost of the project to the
State Government at an annual interest rate of 1-1.4%. The MMRDA will bear 1.2% of
the project cost, and the remaining amount will be borne by the State Government. As
JICA was unwilling to loan directly to the state Government, the Union Government
stood as a guarantor of the loan. As part of the agreement between JICA and the State
Government, 2 rescue lanes will be added to the proposed plan for the MTHL, and a 4
km stretch of the bridge will be constructed as a steel-only structure instead of previous
plan to build a cement and concrete bridge. The use of steel on this stretch will raise the
project cost by ₹4000 crores. JICA formally approved the funding agreement on 9 May
2016, and the MMRDA began the bidding process the following day.[ The MMRDA
invited request for qualifications (RFQ) for civil construction of three packages - a
10.38-kilometre-long (6.45 mi) bridge section across the Mumbai Bay and Sewri
interchange (₹ 6,600 crore), a 7.807-kilometre-long (4.851 mi) bridge section across
Mumbai Bay and Shivaji Nagar inter change (₹ 4,900 crore) and a 3.613-kilometre-long
(2.245 mi) viaduct including interchanges at SH 52, SH54 and NH 4B near Chirle, Navi
Mumbai. The MMRDA received 11 pre-qualification bids each for the first and second
package, and 17 bids for the third package. The agency stated that a single party would
not be awarded the first and second packages together, although any other combination
of the three packages would be permitted

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 The MMRDA appointed a consortium formed by AECOM Asia Co Ltd, Dar Al-
Handsah and TY Lin International as the general consultant for the project on 26
November 2016. According to UPS Madan, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA,
"The General Consultants appointed for the MTHL project will engage in various
activities such as to help MMRDA organise pre-bid meetings, examine bid documents,
secure various permissions from government, semi-government, examine concept
designs, monitor construction of the project and ensure quality of the work among other
things.

8. FIT/SIMILARITIES TO PREVIOUS RELATED PROJECTS

8.1-The Vikhroli-Kopar Khairne Link Road

The Vikhroli-Kopar Khairne Link Road (VKLR), also known as the JVLR-
Kopar Khairane-Ghansoli Bridge, is a proposed 7.5 km to 10 km, freeway grade road
bridge connecting the Indian city of Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, its satellite city.The
new link road would start at Eastern Express Highway (EEH) where Jogeshwari-
Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) ends in Vikhroli, then cross Thane Creek and Harbour
railway line and will terminate at Kopar Khairane in Navi Mumbai before ending on
Thane- Belapur road. The link would be a six-lane road of about 10 km in length
including a 2-kilometre-long (1.2 mi) bridge over the Thane creek At present motorists
have to take either the Vashi Bridge or Mulund-Airoli Link Road to go to Navi Mumbai
and Pune. The new road will help motorists save time and fuel. The project is estimated
to cost around ₹ 550 to 1200 crores. Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development
Authority (MMRDA) appointed N P Bridging (Belgium company), as a designing
consultants for the infra-project, which was supposed to submit the final report on the
link road by mid-September 2016.

It will be the third bridge over the Thane creek; the other two being the Vashi
Bridge connecting Chembur to Vashi, and Mulund to Airoli. The Navi Mumbai-end
provides for a seamless corridor for travelling
to Thane, Dombivli, Kalyan, Ambernath, Panvel & beyond besides throwing open a
direct corridor with the new Navi Mumbai International Airport. It will mean easier

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access for residents of Ghatkopar, Powai, Vikhroli, and Bhandup. The connector will
lead to a real estate boom as travel time will reduce by about an hour.

People travelling from western suburbs to Eastern suburbs will benefit the most.
Connectivity of Mumbai to propose Navi Mumbai International Airport will be
improved.The bridge will have ramp connectivity on the Eastern Express Highway with
a city connect on the Thane-Belapur road. Motorists can navigate further towards nodal
visits or drive down further towards Panvel as the Thane-Belapur road meets the Sion
Panvel Highway, or even wend their way onto the Palm Beach corridor. Further, link
road will allow a 70 km shortcut for local commuters travelling to Alibaug, and also
benefit Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in terms of logistic, transport of goods. This bridge
also plays an important role in connecting with the southern parts of MMR Region.

8.2 Bandra–Worli Sea Link

Bandra–Worli Sea Link is a cable-stayed bridge with pre-stressed concrete-
steel viaducts on either side that links Bandra in the Western
Suburbs of Mumbai with Worli in South Mumbai. The bridge is a part of the
proposed Western Freeway that will link the Western Suburbs to Nariman Point in
Mumbai's main business district.The ₹16 billion (US$220 million) bridge was
commissioned by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC),
and built by the Hindustan Construction Company. The first four of the eight lanes of
the bridge were opened to the public on 30 June 2009. All eight lanes were opened on
24 March 2010.
The sea-link reduces travel time between Bandra and Worli during peak hours
from 20–30 minutes to 10 minutes. As of October 2009, BWSL had an average daily
traffic of around 37,500 vehicles. Northern viaduct of BWSL in the foreground seen
against the Worli skyline. View from Bandra Fort Sunset View of Bandra Worli Sealink
from Dadar Chowpatty spanning over Mahim Bay Mahim Causeway was the only road
connecting the western suburbs to Mumbai's central business district. This north-
southwestern corridor became a bottleneck and was highly congested at peak hours. The
Western Freeway project was proposed to span the entire western coastline of Mumbai
to ease congestion. The Bandra–Worli Sea-Link, a bridge over Mahim Bay, was
proposed as the first phase of this freeway system, offering an alternative route to the
Mahim Causeway.
The Mujeeb Acharwala Bridge connects the intersection of the Western Express
Highway and Swami Vivekanand Road in Bandra to the Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Road in Worli. From Worli Seaface, it connects to Mumbai's arterial Annie Besant
Road.The project was commissioned by the Maharashtra State Road Development
Corporation Limited (MSRDC). The contract for construction was awarded to the

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Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), with project management led by the UK
offices of Dar Al-Handasah.

The foundation stone was laid in 1999 by Bal Thackeray . The original plan
estimated the cost at ₹6.6 billion (US$92 million) to be completed in five years. But the
project was subject to numerous public interest litigations, with the 5-year delay
resulting in the cost escalating to ₹16 billion (US$220 million), with the additional
interest cost alone accounting for ₹7 billion (US$97 million).

Planning

The overall project consisted of five parts, contracted separately to accelerate the overall
schedule.

Package I: Construction of a flyover over Love Grove junction in Worli

Package II: Construction of a cloverleaf interchange at the intersection of the Western

Express Highway and S.V. Road in Bandra

Package III: Construction of solid approach road from the interchange to the Toll Plaza
on the Bandra side along with a public promenade

Package IV: Construction of the central cable-stayed spans with northern and southern
viaducts from Worli to the Toll Plaza at the Bandra end

Package V: Improvements to Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road

The bridge has a reliable and redundant power supply, backed up by diesel
generators and auto mains failure panels for critical loads, such as monitoring,
surveillance, emergency equipment and communication services including aviation and
obstruction indicators. BWSL exclusively uses energy saving illumination systems

An intelligent bridge management system (IBS) provides traffic

information, surveillance, monitoring and control systems. It comprises CCTVs,
automatic traffic counters and vehicle classification system, variable message signs,
remote weather information system and emergency telephones. The control centre is
located near the toll plaza along with the electronic tolling controls. The control system

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uses fibre-optic cables running the entire span of the BWSL. Toll and advanced traffic
management systems were installed.

For traffic enforcement, the bridge includes facilities for vehicles to pull over
when stopped by enforcement officers or in the event of a breakdown. The bridge uses
mobile explosive scanners .for vehicles travelling on the sea link Scans take less than
20 seconds for each vehicle with sensors above and below the vehicles. Over 180 cars
can be scanned per hour by each scanner.
The pillars and the towers supporting the bridge are protected by buoys designed to
withstand explosions and collisions. These inflated buoys surround each pillar of the
sea link to avoid any damage.

9. DELIVERABLES OF THE PROJECT

Deliverable 1: Construction of 10.380 km long bridge section (CH 0+000 to

CH10+380) across the Mumbai Bay Including Sewri Interchange.

Deliverable 2: Construction of 7.807 km long bridge section (CH 10+380 –CH

18+187) across the Mumbai Bay including Shivaji Nagar Interchange.

Deliverable 3: Construction of 3.613 km long viaduct section (CH 18+187 – CH 21+

800) including interchanges at State Highway-54 and at National Highway-4B near
Chirle in Navi Mumbai.

Deliverable 4: Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) includes Toll and Transport

Management System and Equipment Installation for the Project. PQ for Package-4 is
planned to be issued at the third Quarter of 2018.

Deliverable 5 -Noise and vision barriers: The MMRDA will install noise and vision
barriers on a 6 km section of the MTHL. The vision barriers are intended to block the
view of the BARC from the MTHL, while the noise barriers are intended to protect the
movement of flamingos and migratory birds at the Sewri mudflats.

Deliverable 6 -Metro lines: Initially, there were plans to have a dual metro line below
the road lanes on the bridge. The metro Line was to be extended to the proposed Navi
Mumbai International Airport and connected to the proposed Ranjanpada-Sewood-

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Kharkopar corridor of the Navi Mumbai Metro and the proposed Sewri-Prabhadevi
corridor of the Mumbai Metro.

10. SUMMARY BUDGET WITH BREAK-UP OF MAJOR PROJECT HEADS

The MTHL is a 6-lane freeway grade road bridge. It is 21.8 km long, including
16.5 km sea bridge and 5.5 km of viaducts on land on either end of the bridge. The
MTHL will be constructed in three sections: About 4 km of the bride length will be built
with steel spans and the rest will use concrete. The MMRDA chose to use steel spans
in these sections to eliminate the need to construct pillars to support the bridge which
could hinder the movement of ships in the area. This 4 km section includes a 180 meter
long steel span, which is the longest steel span in India. The shortest steel span on the
MTHL is 110 meters long

Package Length Details Contractors Cost

Bridge spanning
Larsen and
across Thane ₹7,637.3
1 10.38 km Toubro and IHI
Creek and Sewri crore(US$1.1 billion)
Corporation
Interchange.

Bridge portion
across Thane Daewoo and
₹5,612.61
2 7.807 km Creek and the Tata Projects
crore(US$780 million)
Shivaji Nagar Limited
interchange.

Viaducts and ₹1,013.79

interchanges that crore(US$140 million)
connect MTHL
Larsen and
with State
3 3.613 km Toubro and IHI
Highways 52 and
Corporation
54 and National
Highway 4B at
Chirle.

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 The project requires 130 hectares of land. The City and Industrial Development
Corporation (CIDCO) will contribute 88 hectares. The remaining land is privately
owned. According to MMRDA officials, land owners will be given the same
compensation package as that given in the Navi Mumbai International Airport
project.Three hundred and twenty structures in Sewri were affected by the project, of
which 250 properties were residential. The MMRDA provided resettlement for the
affected people by offering accommodation in either Kanjurmarg or Kurla. The
majority chose to relocate to Kanjurmarg. The MMRDA also paid ₹6 lakh (US$8,300)
each as compensation to 1,500 fishermen who were affected by the construction of the
project.

In October 2016, the MMRDA agreed to pay MbPT a total of ₹1000 crores in
instalments over the course of 30 years as rent for using the MbPT's land for
construction of ramps for the MTHL on the Mumbai side. The MMRDA will receive
27.2 hectares of land on the Sewri side of the MbPT, of which 15.17 hectares will
temporarily be used for the casting yard.

The MMRDA utilized a drone to carry out survey work for the MTHL. The drones were
fitted with 360 degrees camera that provide up to 3 millimeter accuracy. The aerial
survey takes less time than a regular survey, achieves greater accuracy and helps protect
against false claims for compensation. Over 1,000 boreholes were drilled to study the
strata.

11. SUMMARY PROJECT MILESTONES FOR KEY STAGES

• The Link will have 6 lane facility exclusively for the use of fast moving vehicles
with

• controlled access and connection to Eastern Freeway as well as the Worli-Sewri

link,

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 • connecting to Western Freeway corridor of Mumbai and to NH 4B near village
Chirle,

• Mumbai-Pune Expressway on the mainland.

• Overall width of deck is 24.5 m, consisting of 2x11m wide carriageway with 500
mm wide

• Edge strip on either side of carriage way and 1.5m wide central median. Anti-
crash barriers

• Shall be provided at the edge of carriage way for protection of fast moving
traffic.

• A minimum vertical clearance of approximately 25 m below the bridge above

highest High Tide Level (HTL) will be provided for navigational spans, while
the minimum vertical.

Transportation and traffic planning for Greater Bombay was commissioned to

Wilbur Smith and Associates in mid-1962. The firm's report, based on extensive studies
conducted over 18 months, was handed over to the Union Ministry of Transport on 19
December 1963. Among other projects, the report proposed the construction of a sea
link, known as the Uran Bridge, to connect Mumbai with the mainland near the town of
Uran. However, Smith was unsure of the link's feasibility. Citing poor traffic
expectations in Uran even in 1981, his report advised a more detailed study of this
connection and recommended waiting until "the Trans-Thana area develops further and
more community services are extended to Uran. In 1973, the Vashi Bridge linking
Mankhurd in Mumbai with Vashi in Navi Mumbai was opened.

11.1 First attempt

The first concrete attempt to build the sea link was made in 2004, when
Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) submitted a proposal to
implement the project on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis. The
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) also submitted a counter
proposal. However, the IL&FS proposal was side-lined by the government, for
undisclosed reasons.[10]

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11.2 Second attempt

Another attempt was made in 2005, when the MSRDC invited bids for the
project. But bids submitted by the Ambani brothers was considered to be
unrealistic.[11] A consortium of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group company Reliance
Energy (REL) and Hyundai Engineering Construction Company quoted a concession
period of nine years and 11 months against 75 years quoted by Mukesh Ambani's Sea
King Infrastructure (the only other short-listed bidder left, after L&T-Gamon Industries
and IFFCO opted out). The REL-Hyundai consortium was initially disqualified at the
technical bid stage as Hyundai did not meet the criteria of $200 million net worth
specified in the bid document. However, the consortium challenged the disqualification
in the Supreme Court, and the Court granted them 90 days to submit their bid that ended
on 15 December 2007. The consortium eventually won the bid in February
2008.However, the MSRDC was not sure about viability of the low concession period.
The MSRDC felt that the concession periods were "unrealistic" and that both bids
"seemed frivolous in nature".

11.3 Third attempt

The State Government called for a fresh bids for the project in 2008. However,
none of the 13 companies that had shown interest, submitted bids. The media criticized
the political feud between the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress
coalition, as being responsible for slowing "down the pace of Mumbai's development".
The city's two infrastructure agencies, the MSRDC and the Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development Authority (MMRDA), under the NCP and Congress respectively,
were both planning to construct the MTHL at the same time. The project underwent two
failed rounds of tendering under the MSRDC, and was stuck for nearly two years
(between 2009 and 2011), before the state government decided to hand over the
mandate to MMRDA. Following the decision, the MSRDC asked MMRDA to pay ₹25
crore (US$3.5 million) if it wanted access to any of the studies on the project conducted
by the former. After the MMRDA was tasked with executing the MTHL, the MSRDC
took up the expansion of the Vashi Bridge by adding six more lanes to ease congestion
at the entrance to Navi Mumbai. However, the MMRDA refused the MSRDC's request
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to allocate funds for the expansion of bridge, as the former believed that the expansion
would divert some ridership from the MTHL.

11.4 Fourth attempt

The MMRDA appointed Arup Consultancy Engineers and KPMG to conduct the
techno-economic feasibility of the MTHL in August 2011. The project will be based on
a public-private-partnership model. The project received clearance from Chief Minister
Prithviraj Chavan on 22 October 2012. The Times of India described the MTHL's delay
as being "symbolic of all that's wrong with infrastructure planning and implementation
in Mumbai". The paper also stated that a project being "on the drawing board after more
than forty years would be in the realm of fiction in any other country".

The project received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment

and Forests (MoEF) on 23 October 2012. The Maharashtra State Road Development
Corporation (MSRDC) had obtained clearance for the project in March 2005, but the
certificate was valid only for 5 years and lapsed due to the delays in the bidding process.
The MoEF laid down 11 conditions that the MMRDA had to follow. Some of the
conditions were that the MMRDA put up noise barriers, replant five times the number
of mangroves destroyed, not carry out dredging or reclamation, use construction
equipment with exhaust silencers and work in consultation with the Bombay Natural
History Society to minimize the impact on migratory birds. Environmental activists are
opposed to the clearance. They point out there was no public hearing following the
second application for environmental clearance. They believe that the sea link is not
allowed as per the new Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 2011. Activists
also claim that the sea link would damage a huge mudflat and mangrove tract towards
Sewri and Nhava which is a habitat for migratory birds like flamingos. MMRDA plans
to construct sound barriers on the bridge so that it does not affect the flamingo habitat
at Sewri. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has directed MMRDA to construct
a six-km long view barrier to cut the view of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
The MTHL received coastal regulation zone clearance from the MoEF on 19 July 2013.

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On 31 October 2012, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) granted in-principle
approval for the MTHL. The DEA recommended granting ₹1,920 crore (US$270
million) with a concession period of 35 years for the project. In the first meeting,
between MMRDA and DEA officials in September 2012, the ministry had asked the
authority to treat the sea link as a road and reduce the proposed concession period from
45 years to 30 years. They also expected an internal rate of return of 15% for the project.
However, the MMRDA wanted a higher rate as they claimed the project was very risky.
An internal rate of return of 17% was agreed upon. The termination clause in the
concession agreement comes into effect after 30 years into the concession period. The
MMRDA can invoke the clause based on certain conditions such as the capacity being
higher than expected. The conditions will be reviewed in the 20th year of the concession
agreement. The DEA is the first tier of the three-tier clearance process to get viability
gap funding (VGF) for the project. The project must also receive approval from an
Empowered Committee and finally from the Finance Minister. On 9 November 2012,
the State Government issued a state-support agreement and a toll notification for the
project. The empowered committee approved VGF for MTHL on 12 December 2012.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram cleared the project on 18 January 2013.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) asked the MMRDA to build the MTHL
at a height of 51 metres, instead of the proposed 25 metres, for a span of 300 metres to
accommodate its expansion plans for its fifth container terminal and to allow safe
passage of bigger vessels. MMRDA expressed that a height of 51 metres would not be
feasible as it would have a huge impact on the cost. However, MMRDA officials
expressed willingness to raise the height of the bridge to 31–35 metres. On 8 January
2012, Minister of State for Shippingand MP from South Mumbai, Milind Deora told
reporters that JNPT would issue a No Objection Certificate to the State Government to
go ahead with the project..

In May 2012, the MMRDA shortlisted five consortia for the project: Cintra-
SOMA-Srei, Gammon Infrastructure Projects Ltd.-OHL, Concessions-G.S.
Engineering, GMR Infrastructure-L&T Ltd.-Samsung C&T Corpn., IRB Infrastructure
Developers Ltd.-Hyundai, and Tata Realty and Infrastructure Ltd.-Autostrade Indian

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Infrastructure Development Pvt. Ltd.-Vinci Concessions Development V Pte Ltd. None
of the five shortlisted firms bid for the project by the deadline, which was extended
August 5. IRB-Hyundai had announced their withdrawal from the bidding process, on
31 July 2013, citing "the government's apathy and unfriendly attitude towards investors
wanting to develop capital-intensive infra projects".Following the failure of the tender,
the MMRDA decided to abandon the PPP model and instead implement the project on
cash contract basis.

In January 2013, the Central Government had sanctioned ₹1,920 crore (US$270
million), which was 20% of the project cost at the time, in viability gap for the MTHL.
Under the public private partnership (PPP) basis that the project was proposed to be
implemented in, the State Government would also contribute the same amount as the
Centre, while the remaining 60% would have been borne by the developer who won the
bid. The concession period would have been 35 years, which included the time-frame
of 5 years for the construction. However, the consortia shortlisted for the project were
concerned that 15-20% of the projected traffic for the MTHL, was due to the proposed
Navi Mumbai airport, which was heavily delayed. The MMRDA added provision for a
shortfall loan to be made available from the central government if traffic is 20% under
the estimate.

11.5 Switch from PPP to cash-contract

The MMRDA decided to scrap the PPP model for the project in August 2013,
and instead execute it on a cash-contract basis. Subsequently, the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) expressed interest in providing funds for the project. In
January 2014, Ashwini Bhide, MMRDA additional metropolitan commissioner, told
The Indian Express that the state government had sent a formal proposal to the DEA for
its approval to get funds from JICA. In June 2014, Business Line reported that
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust authorities had agreed to pick up a stake in the project.

12. ASSUMPTIONS, RISKS, AND CONSTRAINTS TO BE/BEING

CONSIDERED BY PROJECT MANAGER

 Rationalization of real estate prices in Greater Mumbai.

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  Increased demand for and better utilization of land in Navi Mumbai.
 Accelerated economic development of Navi Mumbai and nearby regions.
 Greater economic integration of Mumbai Island with Navi Mumbai and extended
regions of Pune, Panvel and Alibaug.
 Decongestion of Mumbai Island and dispersal of population to Navi Mumbai
region and beyond.
 Environmental improvement and reduced pollution levels.
 Improved safety due to reduction in accidents
 MTHL Social Impact Assessment Report Dec 2015.
 Improvement in trade and trade competitiveness through faster and improved
logistic.

13. PROJECT MONITORING AND REVIEW MECHANISM

Monitoring & Evaluation are critical activities in involuntary resettlement.

Monitoring involves periodic checking to ascertain whether activities are progressing
as per schedule while evaluation is essentially to assess the performance of R&R
implementation outcome vis-à-vis baseline status based on the key indicators of the
BSES. For this purpose, a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) program will be carried
out by MMRDA, which will help keep the programs on schedule and make them
successful. Monitoring and Evaluation of R&R gives an opportunity to the
implementation and the funding agency to reflect broadly on the success of the basic
R&R objectives, strategies and approaches. However, the objective of conducting M&E
is to assess the efficiency and efficacy in implementation SIA activities, impact and
sustainability, drawing lessons as a guide to future resettlement planning.
Monitoring will give particular attention to the project affected vulnerable
groups such as scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, BPL families, women headed
households, widows, old aged and the disabled. SIA implementation will be monitored
internally. MMRDA will be responsible for internal monitoring through
their field level officers of SDC and will prepare quarterly reports on the progress of
SIA implementation. A qualitative assessment through an Independent Evaluation
Consultant may be hired by MMRDA for mid and end term evaluation of SIA
implementation.

13.1 Internal Monitoring

The internal monitoring for SIA implementation will be carried out by MMRDA. The
main objectives of internal monitoring are to:

 measure and report progress against the SIA schedule;

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  verify that agreed entitlements are delivered in full to affected people;
 identify any problems, issues or cases of hardship resulting from the
resettlement process, and to develop appropriate corrective actions, or where
problems are systemic refer them to the management team;
 monitor the effectiveness of the grievance system
 periodically measure the satisfaction of project affected people.

13.2 Internal monitoring will focus on measuring progress against the schedule of
actions defined in the SIA.

 Activities to be undertaken by the MMRDA will include:

 Liaison with the Land Acquisition team, construction contractor and project
affected communities to
 review and report progress against the SIA;
 Verification of land acquisition and compensation entitlements are being
delivered in accordance
 with the SIA;
 Verification of agreed measures to restore or enhance living standards are being
implemented;
 Verification of agreed measures to restore or enhance livelihood are being
implemented;
 Identification of any problems, issues, or cases of hardship resulting from
resettlement process;
 Through household interviews, assess project affected peoples’ satisfaction with
resettlement
 outcomes;
 Collection of records of grievances, follow up that appropriate corrective actions
have been
 undertaken and that outcomes are satisfactory;

Monitoring is a continuous process and will be carried out by field level officers of
SDC on regular basis to keep track of the SIA implementation progress. For this
purpose, the indicators suggested have been given in Table 11.1. Although monitoring
is a continuous process until the completion of the resettlement, around sixth (6th)
month of the resettlement, SDC will conduct a monitoring specially given attention to
the livelihood recovery of the PAPs, particularly project affected vulnerable groups. If
SDC officers recognize further needs for PAPs to recover the livelihood or stabilize the
new job and environment, SDC or/and other department of MMRDA will play key roles
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to coordinate state and national organizations/agencies to effectively address the
difficulties of those who need further assistances.

13.3 Qualitative Independent Evaluation

As mentioned earlier, an Independent Evaluation Agency (IEA) will be hired by
MMRDA for mid and end term evaluation. A detailed Terms of Reference for IEA is
presented in.The external evaluation will be carried out to achieve the following:

 Verify results of internal monitoring,

 Assess whether resettlement objectives have been met, specifically, whether
livelihoods and living
 standards have been restored or enhanced,
 Assess resettlement efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability, drawing
lesions as a guide to
 future resettlement policy making and planning, and
 Ascertain whether the resettlement entitlements were appropriate to meeting the
objectives, and
 whether the objectives were suited to affected persons’ conditions,
 This comparison of living standards will be in relation to the baseline
information available in the
 BSES. If some baseline information is not available then such information
should be collected on
 recall basis during the evaluation.

The following aspects are suggested to be considered in evaluation of R&R

implementation in the project.
The list of impact performance indicators suggested to monitor project objectives is
delineated in Table 11.2.
However, this does not bar the evaluation agency to add additional indicator for
evaluation of project.
13.4 Reporting Requirements
MMRDA will be responsible for supervision and implementation of the SIA.
MMRDA will prepare quarterly progress reports on resettlement activities and the same
shall be shared with the JICA. The internal monitoring and reporting structure shall be
followed as:

 The field level officer of SDC will submit monthly progress report to SDC chief
within the first week
 of each following month.

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  SDC office will check and review the monthly report submitted by the field
officer and compile the
 monthly progress report and prepare quarterly progress report.
 Quarterly progress report prepared by SDC will be submitted to JICA by
MMRDA.

MMRDA will engage an independent agency for Qualitative Independent Evaluation

of &R implementation of MTHL project. The Consultant will submit two reports in the
lifetime of their assignment to MMRDA, determine whether resettlement goals have
been achieved, more importantly whether livelihoods and living standards have been
restored or enhanced, and suggest suitable recommendations for improvement. The first
report will be submitted after half way through the R&R implementation and the second
report will be submitted six months after the implementation of R&R activities. The
qualitative report prepared by the independent agency shall have the following aspects
covered, however, this is just a recommended structure of the report.

1. Introduction
2. Purpose of the report
3. Impact Assessment
4. Entitlements(Matrix)
5. Institutional arrangements
6. RP implementation Process
7. Mitigation measures
8. Grievance Redress Mechanism
9. Capacity building
10. Corrective actions
11. Lessons learned
12. Recommendations

14. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS/SETBACKS FACED TILL DATE BY PROJECT

MANAGER

The 22-km-long MTHL is also a perfect example of cost overruns wherein its
cost increased by more than 400 percent after it was conceptualized in the 1980's. Lack
of environmental clearances along with lack of political will are touted to be one of the
major reason behind the delay of this sea-link that is said to be one of the longest sea-
link in the world.

The project ran into a major hurdle in April 2015, when the forest advisory
committee (FAC) of the MoEF withheld its clearance for the project stating that it
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affects "existing mangroves as well as the flamingo population". The project requires
clearance from the Ministry as it will affect 38 hectares of protected mangrove forests
and 8.8 hectares of forest land on the Navi Mumbai end. The sea link's starting point
poses a threat to an estimated 20,000-30,000 lesser and greater flamingos and the
mangrove habitat. The Sewri mudflats are home to 150 species of birds species, and is
listed as an "Important Bird Area". The FAC instructed the state government to submit
a study report on the project's impact on the flamingo population, and recommended
that the government seek the help of either the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)
or the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun to conduct the study. The cost of the study
will be borne by the MMRDA, which will also have to come with safeguards to cause
the least disturbance to the flamingos at Sewri.

On 17 April 2015, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin

Gadkari stated that he favoured the construction of a submarine tunnel instead of a sea
link. Gadkari stated that the tunnel would cost less than a bridge (citing the example of
the tunnel between Rotterdam and Belgium), and would also be aesthetically preferable
as a sea link would obstruct the city's coastline. However, Gadkari clarified that the
Union Government would accept the final decision made by the State Government on
this matter. Following a visit to China, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
announced on 20 May 2015, that the China Communications Construction Company
(CCCC) had expressed interest in the MTHL project. According to Fadnavis, the CCCC
will complete the project within 3–4 years of being appointed and will also provide 2%
concessional funding for the project.

In November 2015, the project was cleared by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone
Management Authority (MCZMA). In January 2016, the Forest Advisory Committee
(FAC) granted forest clearance, and the Experts' Appraisal Committee (EAC) attached
to the MoEF granted CRZ clearance to the project. The CRZ came with a rider requiring
the MMRDA to spend at least ₹335 crore towards an "environment management
programme".the same month, Fadnavis announced that the project had received all
required clearances.

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The MTHL received final environment clearance from the State Forest Department in
May 2017.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project on 24
December 2016. After evaluating the bids, in January 2017, the MMRDA shortlisted a
total of 29 contractors for the three packages and floated tenders for the request for
proposal (RFP) stage, the final stage of the bidding process. The agency fixed 5 April
2017 as the final date for submissions of the RFP bids The submission date was later
postponed to 5 June. However, the agency received over 3,000 queries from the short-
listed bidders and was forced to postpone the date to 17 July in order to respond to all
queries.

The MMRDA applied for security clearance from the Union Home Ministry to
carry out construction near the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the Mumbai Port Trust
and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. These facilities have restricted areas that are
covered by the Official Secrets Act. The MMRDA also submitted the names of all
companies that bid for the project to the Home Ministry. The Ministry will grant
clearance after consultations with other ministries such as the Foreign Ministry and the
intelligence agencies. The Home Ministry denied security clearance to a bid from
Chinese consortium China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Limited in a joint
venture with Gayatri Projects Limited, and also to a consortium of IL&FS Engineering
Limited and Ranjit Buildcon Limited. Both consortia were subsequently disqualified
from the bidding process by the MMRDA. The MMRDA stated that Home Ministry
had not provided the agency with any official reason for denying security clearance.
IL&FS Engineering filed an appeal against the decision in the Bombay High Court on
18 July. The Court permitted IL&FS to submit its bid, subject to a final decision by the
Court.

The MMRDA received bids from 17 of the 29 short-listed contractors by the

final bid submission date on 19 July 2017. The agency stated that it would take one
month to conduct technical evaluations of the bids and to award contracts. On 9
November 2017, the MMRDA awarded contracts to a consortium of Larsen and Toubro
(L&T) and Japan's IHI Corporation, a consortium of Daewoo and Tata Projects Limited
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(TPL), and L&T to construct the Sewri side of sea bridge, the Navi Mumbai side of sea
bridge, and the bridge portion on land towards Chirle respectively.The contracts
between the MMRDA and the L&T-IHI Corporation consortium were officially signed
on 27 December 2017. L&T was awarded ₹7,637.3 crore (US$1.1 billion) for the 10.38
km package 1 and ₹1,013.79 crore (US$140 million) for the 3.61 km package 3. The
contract for the 7.807 km package 2 was signed with Daewoo and Tata Projects at cost
of ₹5,612.61 crore (US$780 million) at a later date.

The MMRDA began conducting a geological survey for the project on 15

January 2018. Construction of the MTHL began in April 2018 with engineers collecting
soil samples for soil testing at each location where piers will be built in Nhava Sheva.
About 10% of the total construction work for the project was completed by the end of
October 2018.

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