Mumbai: The BMC’s Coastal Road department has proposed appointing Pawan Hans Ltd, a govt of India enterprise, as a consultant to conduct a feasibility study for constructing a helipad at Worli Jetty. This is part of a multimodal transportation plan under the Mumbai Coastal Road project.
TOI was the first to report about the helipad plans in March when deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde asked the BMC to consider setting it up along the Coastal Road.
A BMC official said, “As it’s a govt undertaking, it has been proposed to directly appoint Pawan Hans as a consultant for the project. Permission from the administrator is being sought for the same.” The plans are to set up a helipad on a temporary jetty that was made for the Coastal Road project opposite Worli Dairy. There were initially two jetties, one near Amarsons Garden that was dismantled and the other at Worli. The Worli jetty was not proposed to be dismantled as coastal police sought some space for surveillance. This area is large enough to allow helicopter landing, civic officials said. The civic body will pay Pawan Hans a consultancy fee of Rs 5 lakh. — Richa Pinto