Comments by "M Shastri" (@libshastra) on "Mumbai Trans Harbour Link u0026 challenges faced by big-ticket infra projects in India’s richest city" video.

  1. The irony of Environmentalists crying about falmingos on the Mumbai side of MTHL is that the area sits right at the mouth of HPCL refinery. That is one of the most polluted areas of Mumbai. None of these Environmentalists opposed the expansion of that refinery and extension of oil pipeline further into the wetlands. But if it's a project that benefits everyone, environmentalists have all the objections of the world.
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  2. ⁠ @sumedhsingh731 except the reality is anything but whataboutism. You've clearly never been to the Kohli villages downstream from the refinery. It is one of few places in India where children are born with deformed limbs, oversized heads (classic sign of heavy metal poisoning) and cancers rates are 2x above global average.
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  3. Shekarji got the agencies all wrong. MMRDA is Mumbai Metro Regions urban planning agency. They develop land parcels with other agencies like BMC, Maharashtra State and local Municipalities. They also build and maintain inter agency critical infrastructure (including water and sewage) MSRDC is a road building corporation. They build roads and flyovers. When MMRDA sanctions a project, they employ agencies like MSRDC to do it for them - they maintain the pursestrings. MMRDA also is the go to agency to transfer land. BKC used to be State Govt land - partly owned by University of Mumbai and State Tree authority and State PWD. If there agency infighting, it usually means the fight is at Mantralay or State executive.
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