The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ministry of land, infrastructure and transport of the Republic of Korea for the preparation of a master plan for developing eastern parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) along the 126-km long Virar-Alibaug multi-modal corridor. The project was highly recommended by the Comprehensive Transportation Study conducted by the MMRDA and funded by the World Bank.
The MoU is considered as a positive step towards making Virar-Alibaug multi-modal corridor a feasible one. The MoU was signed by Ashwini Bhide, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA and Ahn Si Kweon, assistant minister, ministry of land, infrastructure and transport of the Republic of Korea. A delegation from Korea was on a tour to Mumbai to sign on this memorandum.
“The Virar-Alibaug corridor which passes through the eastern part of MMR will trigger urbanisation along the corridor and a master plan for the areas around this corridor will be necessary for its orderly development. The study will also identify growth centres which will afford stability to the spill-over areas,” said Ms Bhide
She further added, “The Korean model of land use development has faced similar constraints as are being faced in India and could be suitably modified and used in developing the eastern MMR, especially around the multi-modal corridor. By roping in Korean expertise and best practices we will be able to use the land as a resource to fund our infrastructure requirements.”
Information obtained from MMRDA says that the Korean team will share best practices with MMRDA’s planners and work out a detailed master plan and land development models, along with funding patterns beginning January 1, 2014. The plan, development models and the funding patters will then be submitted to the state government for approval within a period of one year.