MUMBAI: Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis who is on a five-day official visit to Japan has said that Japan has pledged to support the state's ambitious Versova Virar Sea Link (VVSL) project in Mumbai. Fadnavis also tweeted the development on his official Twitter handle updating on the developments that are happening during his visit. 

According to Fadnavis, the Japanese government will support the construction of the VVSL and this assurance was given at a meeting between deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Japanese finance, commerce and industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura on Thursday.

The VVSL project is a proposed 43-km eight-lane elevated road along the coast being implemented by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) that will originate from Versova in the western suburbs and will end at the satellite city of Virar. The cost of the proposed mega project, which has got state cabinet approval, is estimated at Rs 63,426 crore.

MMRDA has already begun working on the project and accordingly in April 2023 invited parties for geotechnical investigation through 6 packages with a 120 completion deadline. Boreholes will be drilled in the regions of Versova, Charkop, Uttan, Vasai, Virar and Arnala for the same. In May 2023 10 surveying firms submitted bids for VVSL’s detailed geotechnical investigation.

There have also been reports that MMRDA also plans to extend the Versova-Virar sea link up to Palghar, from the initially intended ending at Virar and as a result of the new adjustments to be carried out for the proposed extension of the sea link, the MMRDA will be undertaking a pre-feasibility study of the extended portion.

On the fourth day of his Japan tour, Fadnavis also held a series of meetings to attract investments in infra, and semiconductor projects in Maharashtra. He held meetings with members of the Japanese government, officials from various companies as well as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which is funding Metro-3, bullet train, Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link and other projects. He urged NTT Data to set up data centres in Nagpur and sought help for Mumbai's flood mitigation project.

"JICA is ready to fund the Mumbai Flood Mitigation Project which will save human lives and reduce damage to physical property. This project will prepare Mumbai to face the rising challenges due to Global Warming," Fadnavis said in his tweet after his meeting with Nakazawa Keiichiro, Senior VP of JICA.

Overall, Fadnavis has described all the meetings as extremely productive and added that they shall prove to be milestones for various development projects in the state.