An IIT-Bombay team recently visited the Palm Beach Road underpass site at Sanpada Sector-19 in Navi Mumbai to assess the situation and propose alternative plans to minimize tree loss. The team, led by Professor Vedagiri Perumal, dean of transportation systems engineering, inspected the site after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) approached IIT-B for expert advice. The civic body had greenlighted the project in 2023.
Tree Impact and Local Opposition
A total of 440 trees are expected to be affected by the underpass project, with 329 to be transplanted through relocation and 111 to be chopped down. This has sparked strong opposition from local residents and activists, who have organized protests to demand a design change that would save more trees.
The NMMC confirmed the IIT-B visit but declined to provide further details. An official handling the project stated, "Only after receipt of the IIT-B report for the tunnel road project will we make any comment. Only one visit has been made by the team."
Expertise of the IIT-B Team
The IIT-B team specializes in traffic safety, pedestrian behavior modeling, traffic flow modeling and simulation, control, and public transit system design and operation. Their expertise is expected to help find a balance between traffic needs and environmental conservation.
Activist Shrikant Patki welcomed the NMMC's decision to involve IIT-B, saying, "We welcome NMMC's decision to involve IIT-B. It gives us hope as efforts are being made to seek expert views to save the trees. Many residents of Sanpada, including urban planners and engineers, are ready to help find alternatives. We are committed to doing everything possible to protect our trees."
Protests and Traffic Concerns
Locals organized two silent human chain protests—one at the site and another at the NMMC headquarters—pressing their demand to save trees through a design change. An amicable solution to the traffic problem is urgently needed while ensuring access to Sanpada and Juinagar nodes. With no other access point available from Palm Beach Road, the civic body is proceeding with the project.
Project Timeline and Cost
The underpass work started on December 15, 2025, and is proposed to be completed by October 14, 2027. The Rs 33.8-crore project will be executed within an 18-month period, excluding monsoon months.
