Goregaon-Mulund Tunnel Project: BMC Plans Major Tree Removal At Film City; Faces Backlash

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to use a 22-acre plot near Film City in Goregaon to set up a casting yard and begin tunnelling work for a new tunnel between Mulund and Goregaon, as reported by Hindustan Times. As part of the project, around 700 trees may need to be cut down, and notices have already been placed on many of them.

Film City, which is located next to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), is home to various wildlife species, including leopards, deer, and peacocks, which are often spotted in the area.

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Ashok Mali, the assistant engineer in charge of the project, explained that the BMC has requested land from Film City to begin the work. He said in HT, "We are planning to remove 700 trees, but the final decision will be made by the tree authority. The trees will either be transplanted or removed."

Swati Mhase-Patil, managing director of Film City, confirmed that the BMC has asked for land, but no decision has been made yet.

However, environmentalist D Stalin from the NGO Vanshakti has strongly opposed the tree-cutting plan. In a letter to the BMC and the state forest department, he expressed concerns about the continuous loss of Mumbai's tree cover, stating that there is no evidence of compensatory afforestation being done.

He also criticised the Mumbai Metro Line 3 project for not fulfilling promises to restore lost greenery, mentioning that trees in Aarey Colony are gone forever, and the compensatory plantations promised are nowhere to be seen.

Stalin also highlighted that Film City falls within the eco-sensitive zone of SGNP and occupies 51 acres of forest land illegally.

The Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project, for which this tunnel is being built, was initially planned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). It will involve a 6.3-kilometre tunnel connecting Film City and Khindipada in Bhandup. The foundation stone for the project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 13, with a deadline of October 2028. The tunnel aims to reduce travel time between Mulund and Goregaon from over an hour to just 20 minutes.

This is the second tunnel project under SGNP, following the 11.84-kilometre Thane-Borivali tunnel.