Virar-Alibaug Corridor: Mumbai's Game Changer, Mangrove Data Discrepancy

• Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor aims to connect Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, and Raigad, boosting economic development and connectivity.
• The project will link major cities, Navi Mumbai International Airport, JNPT, and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu).
• A key concern is the environmental impact, with reports indicating 5043 mangrove trees across 75 hectares could be affected.
• The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) authority has requested a revised proposal due to discrepancies in the reported mangrove impact data.
• The corridor features six major interchanges and will provide direct connectivity to nine proposed growth centers.

Why It Matters: New corridor offers economic growth but threatens thousands of mangroves.