Why Are We Demanding Redesigning of TBTT?

Thousands of residents of Mulla Baug area in Thane are united in demanding that the Thane Borivali Twin Tunnel (TBTT) should be extended close to now defunct Uni Abex company towards Ghodbunder Road. In present design, the TBTT ends before Satya Shankar Housing Society causing difficulties to all the nearby residential complexes. The residents huddled in a brain storming session on Saturday with the officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) appraising them of their pragmatic difficulties and the possible dangers they are going to face in the near future.

The residents had to raise their voice since the beginning when the TBTT, the brain child of then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, started taking physical shape in 2024. The residents, mostly office goers, realised that the tunnel’s location was shifted from Tiku Ji Ni Wadi, a private amusement park, to their otherwise peaceful and lush green area to benefit someone. Then came the next shock. A toll plaza was proposed right outside a residential complex Neelkanth greens  blocking movements of the law-abiding tax payer residents. The residents of nearby housing complexes namely Neelkanth Woods, Neelkanth Greens, Cosmos Longue and Satya Shankar Residency would have been directly affected if this toll plaza came outside Neelkanth Greens.

This was the moment when the residents joined hands to raise their voice against the ‘injustice’ in designing and planning of the TBTT. They got the first success when the MMRDA agreed not to erect the toll plaza outside Neelkanth Greens. However, to the residents’ surprise the tunnel and the toll plaza has been shifted just 500 meters ahead to another residential complexes Cosmos Lounge and Satya Shankar Residency.

We, the residents, are demanding that the tunnel and the toll plaza should be moved further 300 meters  close to a defunct company called as Uni Abex, where no residential complex situates. There is an ample of space available for toll plaza which will not harm any housing society and the road will also remain intact.

We are the Project Affected People (PAP). We have formed a representatives committee comprising members from all complexes. We are trying to attract the attention of the MMRDA and the state government to our legitimate demands.

We are going to face a huge difficulty on the front of pollution and vehicular traffic in our peaceful area when the tunneling work begins hopefully after the monsoon. We are going to sacrifice the peace for a project of national importance. That does not mean the authorities should neglect our genuine demands.

There is no traffic police employed in this area causing chaos. Dust suppression system is not activated. Roads are not cleaned of the dust. If the situation is not improved the muddy roads may cause accidents especially for the two wheelers. The Contractor Megha Engineering Pvt. Ltd. (MEPL) has to take extra efforts as this project location is thickly populated.

We understand from the media reports that there is a wide road proposed right through our housing complexes that will connect Mulla Baug to Patlipada near the TBTT’s starting point. This will make this area the busiest junction for the vehicular traffic in Thane.

We are the peace-loving and responsible citizens. The government should not overlook our demands in the election season. Any adverse impact on the residents’ health and life would be detrimental for the prospects of the political parties as well.

(The author is a resident of Mulla Baug, Thane.)