Pedder Rd flyover faces new roadblock.

Despite an expert committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) having recommended the controversial Pedder Road flyover for an environment clearance in November last year, the project, which has been stuck for more than a decade, has now hit a fresh hurdle.

In a recent letter to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the MoEF has said while the flyover has been recommended for clearance, the corporation should conduct another public hearing, given that residents along the alignment have been vociferously against it. The MSRDC has conducted two public consultations for the project in the past.

The 4.1-km flyover, which the state government had first proposed in 2000, has been embroiled in controversy since its inception, with high-profile residents including personalities such as singers Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosale opposing it.

Anil Diggikar, vice-chairman and managing director at MSRDC, said, 'A public hearing cannot be held at this stage with elections coming up. We have written to the MoEF saying that we have conducted two public hearings in this case, given them a background of what happened, and requested that they allow us to go ahead. We are awaiting their reply.'

INDIAN EXPRESS