MUMBAI, July 2 -- The civic administration has received in-principle clearance for the Mumbai Coastal Road (North) project from Versova to Bhayander, from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF). The clearance was awaited for the mangrove diversion aspect of the project. Since the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is implementing this section of the coastal road, has obtained both Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance and the forest diversion in-principle approval from the MoEF, it will now approach the Bombay High Court before it starts implementing the project. The Nariman Point to Bandra stretch of the coastal road was recently opened to traffic, and the stretch between Bandra and Versova, being implemented by MSRDC, is underway. The Versova to Bhayander stretch will be taken up next. It will make travel from Nariman Point to Bhayander seamless and signal-free, potentially easing congestion in the western suburbs and on the Western Express Highway. The Versova to Bhayander section alone will reduce travel time from 90-120 minutes to just 15-20 minutes. The project will include elevated roads, bridges and two tunnels. It will cover areas including Versova, Malad, Malvani, Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar, and finally Bhayander via Mira Road. The project is scheduled to begin in August and will be completed by December 2028. With the MoEF clearance coming through, Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (projects), on Tuesday conducted a review meeting regarding the progress of the Coastal Road (North) project, with officials from the bridges department and project consultants. The northern arm of the project is around 60km long, and will pass over land and creeks, with a significant portion falling within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The BMC has obtained various environmental clearances and no-objection certificates from central and state authorities. A total of 8.24 hectares of mangrove area will be permanently affected by the project, impacting 9,000 mangrove trees. This includes mangroves impacted by the access roads, underground power lines and tunnels. An additional 68.55 hectares will be temporarily diverted for construction, affecting 36,000 mangrove trees during the construction period, after which these areas will be restored. To compensate for the mangrove loss, the Mangroves Cell of the state forest department has prepared a comprehensive Mangrove Restoration Plan. According to MCZMA guidelines, 137,025 mangrove trees are proposed to be planted. A mangrove ecosystem rehabilitation programme, including biodiversity restoration, is also planned. Additionally, a 31-hectare plot in Bhayander village will be used for compensatory mangrove afforestation. Besides, under the Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Act, 2023, the BMC will earmark an equivalent amount of non-forest land for forest development. A 103.7-hectare plot at Vihirgaon in Chimur taluka in Chandrapur district, has been identified for this purpose....