This document discusses the proposed relocation of Mumbai port due to overcrowding and safety issues. It provides background on the history and growth of Mumbai port since the 1600s. The port has expanded continuously but this has led to unsustainable traffic conditions as 84% of cargo now moves by road through the crowded city. The document proposes relocating major industries like oil refineries away from the port due to violations of safety regulations and threats to nearby communities. It argues this will require relocating the port to make it sustainable as over half its revenue comes from oil cargo. The proposed solution is to plan a managed closure and relocation of the port to address all stakeholder interests.

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Table Of Contents
The Mumbai Megaproject
Second Edition
Trans Harbour Re-Location Of Mumbai Port
An Initiative of the Planning and Design Lab
Copyright March ‘ 2013
This material is protected by Indian copyright law
Revision 02
28th
Mar ‘ 2013
Busybric Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.

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© Protected by Indian copyright 2013
Busybric Infrastructure and The Nataraja Foundation are the owners of this project design basis. Further development of the
project is hereby assigned to “ The Planning and Design Lab “, which is a joint initiative of Busybric Infrastructure and The
Nataraja Foundation .
BusyBric Infrastructure is a next generation infrastructure concept, design and implementation company with an agenda to
bring totally new ideas to the Infrastructure business in India. ( website : www.busybric.com )
The Nataraja Foundation on the other hand,is an independent organization which promotes rigorous study of issues pertaining
to India and attempts to provide solutions for large social and economic challenges. ( website : www.nataraja.org.in )
The Nataraja Foundation is the promoter of “ The Indian Education Megaproject “. The Education Megaproject is a plan to
provide high quality education, totally free of cost to 126 Million Children in 28 states and 7 union territories across India. The
entire financing of Rs. 6 Lakh Crores ( US $ 131.38 Billion ) for this project is to be raised independent of central and state
budgets. A detailed plan to execute the Education Megaproject has been submitted to the Ministry of HRD and the Planning
Commission, Govt. Of India. Those interested can view and download all the project documents including detailed calculations
and the financing scheme from the Nataraja Foundation website : http://www.nataraja.org.in/masseducationproject.htm
Together, Busybric Infrastructure and The Nataraja Foundation have an agenda to provide thought leadership in the areas of
Education, Healthcare, Urban Infrastructure and a number of other matters of national interest.
The projects Busybric and Nataraja promote are in the public interest for people in India and around the world. We therefore
would like to share our ideas with like minded individuals and organizations globally for the service of the public with the
caveat that the source of information ( this report ) be mentioned in each case while referring to the information and unique
ideas contained herein to avoid legal action.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written
permission of the Planning and Design Lab.
Those interested in knowing more about our work may write to us at the following address :
Current mailing address :
The Planning & Design Lab
104, Parshudhar Building, Plot No 5, Sector 25
Nerul ( East ), Navi Mumbai 400706
Maharashtra, India
T: + 91- 22 2 7707623
M: + 91-9867612368
E Mail : nataraja.foundation@gmail.com ( Enquiries pertaining to the Indian Education Megaproject )
Lab@mumbaimegaproject.com ( Enquiries pertaining to the Mumbai Megaproject )
Nataraja Foundation Charity Registration No. E – 24721 ( Mumbai )
Cover image : Collage based on generic pictures available on the internet. Link to the source of the pictures is provided on the
website.
Designed , typeset and printed in India by “ The Planning and Design Lab “.

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Table Of Contents
1. Executive Summary
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. The Game Changing Role Of The Judges Of The Mumbai High Court
10. About the Mumbai Megaproject
Project details will be shared with interested parties and Govt. after signing of
confidentiality agreement, payment of prescribed fees and signing of the initial
project agreement.

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Project details will be shared with interested parties and Govt. after signing of
confidentiality agreement, payment of prescribed fees and signing of the initial
project agreement.

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About the Authors
Amrita Puntambekar is a designer with “The Planning and Design Lab”. She has detailed many of
the concepts as regards the social equity dimensions of the Mumbai Megaproject. She leads the
Nataraja Foundations initiatives on women’s issues and particularly children’s education. She is also
an associate fellow at the Nataraja Foundation and a consultant for its various projects. Amrita is a
freelance artist and specializes in watercolour. She is a post graduate in commerce and lives in
Mumbai.
Ashish Puntambekar is a Mumbai based , corporate planner and infrastructure project designer. He has
20 years of experience in designing some of India’s largest infrastructure projects, the most notable and
recent of which is the Indian Education Megaproject. The Education Megaproject is a plan to provide
high quality education , totally free of cost to 126 Million children, 80 % of who live in rural areas and
come from the poorest families. Please visit : http://www.nataraja.org.in/masseducationproject.htm
As a designer , Ashish believes in Gandhiji’s vision of “ Sarvodaya “( i.e the rise of all ) and his project
designs therefore focus on including the excluded among the masses . All his projects also have huge
environmental dividends in that they are designed for sustainability while also deploying
environmentally friendly building materials on a massive scale. Each project’s financial design also
frees up large capital resources for afforestation schemes and for wildlife preservation.
The Mumbai Megaproject for instance provides US $ 300 Million for Mangroves and another US $ 1.5
Billion for the planting of dense forests in Maharashtra. Employment generation is also high on the
design agenda. This is witnessed by the fact that the above mentioned two projects , alone will add 10
Million new jobs in India.
Besides designing large infrastructure and clean energy projects, the designer is also keenly interested
in the geopolitics of petroleum ( several published articles ) and has expert level knowledge in the
energy business and especially the price of crude oil which he has traded as a derivative trader on all
the worlds major exchanges and OTC markets for over 5 years. He currently works as a project
designer and also runs a private foundation, named the Nataraja Foundation, with a mandate to
innovate on an unprecedented level in the areas of Social Infrastructure, Urban Planning and Clean
Energy.
Ashish holds an MBA in international business and a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering.

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Acknowledgments
The Mumbai Megaproject is a scheme in the interest of the Millions of citizens of Mumbai City and the
112 million inhabitants of Maharashtra. It is also a landmark project to safeguard the ecology and
sustain a vast marine ecosystem around Mumbai. The project proposal itself is an exercise in the public
interest and for the consideration of the State and Union Governments.
In a project proposal as wide-ranging as this with its 22 different themes, the project designers have
received much help from others, starting with FICCI-FLO and Deutsche Bank who organized and
sponsored the seminar in Sept ’ 2011 at the YB Chavan Center at Nariman Point in Mumbai.
While the Marco concepts and large project ideas are our own, several Individuals have contributed by
providing comments on draft chapters. A few senior specialists with vast experience in project planning
and execution have reviewed the whole report consisting of 22 different themes + 2 project control
specifications and have provided their inputs. Some contributed in terms of ideas while others provided
critical cost estimates for the various schemes within the Megaproject. It is not possible to thank
everyone by naming them as one cannot rank their ideas on the basis of relative criticality or
importance.
We have also borrowed ideas and concepts from other projects implemented around the world such as
the palm islands in Dubai, The Semakau offshore landfill in Singapore, The Chunnel tunnel that
connects the UK with France, The Cheonggyechon river re-development (Seoul, South Korea), Besos
river ( Spain ), The Sabarmati river re-development project in Ahmedabad, The Coral Reef Alliance’s
Bio Rock technology implementations around the world etc. In including these projects we acknowledge
their thought leadership and would like to learn from their implementation experience. Each borrowed
concept is acknowledged by source and at no point do we claim these fundamental concepts as our
own. In fact we hope that the people and organizations involved in these earlier, path-breaking projects
around the world see the opportunities in Mumbai and come here. The city will greatly benefit from their
experience.
Several friends have provided helpful guidance as we edited the final text for publication. We have also
taken a number of generic pictures from the internet and have used graphics and material for tables
from various published sources and while doing so, we have taken care to quote our sources for
numbers and opinions expressed by various parties in the public domain.
It is important to state here that the cost estimates within the Megaproject’s reports have been arrived
at after seeking relevant advice from experts. These are however indicative costs based on current
industry practices and projects commissioned within the last 3 – 5 years in India and around the world.
Based on all these inputs, we have modified the concepts in a manner that fits Mumbai’s unique
requirements. This cross fertilization of ideas across industries has been our own and it is this that
makes the Mumbai Megaproject unique. The estimates are critically linked to project execution
structures specified in each case to achieve the most efficient project schedule and least possible cost.
The project configurations and the scope of work considered in each sub-project also have had a major
impact on cost and these costs could vary if project scope is changed significantly.
Finally, the authors take sole responsibility for any errors or omissions regarding opinions expressed
and conclusions drawn from the various studies within the Megaproject proposals.

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1. Executive Summary
Mumbai port has a long and rich history. The Portuguese who had occupied the area
transferred it to the British crown in 1661 under the marriage treaty between Charles II of
Great Britain and the infant princess Catherine of Portugal. Actual work on developing the
port began after the transfer of the Port and the island of Mumbai to the East India
Company by Royal Charter in 1668.
In 1813, an act of the British parliament ended the East India Company’s commercial
monopoly over Mumbai port. This resulted in a great spurt in business for the Port. The year
1858 witnessed the exit of the East India Company ( after the revolt of 1857 ) , and passing
of Mumbai under the direct rule of the British crown.
The opening of the Suez canal in 1869 revolutionized the maritime trade of Mumbai. It shifted
the whole scenario of import and export trade from the east coast of India to the west and
Mumbai port became the principal gateway to India. In 1873, the present statutory
autonomous port trust was set up for administering the affairs of the port.
Between 1873 and 1914 a number of berths were added and the port grew. After 1915, the
port went through an extensive expansion phase during which the port was connected to the
national network of railway trunk lines. In addition road connectivity and capacity was
expanded and large warehouse capacity was built. The first oil handling terminal was also
added in 1923.
The important thing to remember in all this is that the island of Mumbai served as a
breakwater which protected the port from the open sea and the joining of the islands and the
formation of the city were essentially all done around the need to sustain a trading hub (
which Mumbai essentially was ) centered around the port. Even the railway linkages were
established to keep communication lines open to sustain Britain’s trade linked colonial
ambitions and to allow for the movement of military hardware and troops. In fact the entire
city as we know it today has grown around the railway lines that the British built.
Un-Sustainable Expansion
After Independence in 1947 the port was expanded repeatedly and its capacity was
continuously increased both in terms of new additional dry bulk and liquid / oil cargo handling
berths.
New container handling capacity was added after the commissioning of the first facility in
1973. All this and subsequent capacity additions after 1984 have enabled the port to handle
The Mumbai Megaproject
Second Edition
Trans Harbour Re-Location Of Mumbai Port

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56.19 million tonnes of cargo in 2011-12.As the ports traffic grew, so did the city in a rather
unplanned way along the railway systems and the crowded road corridors.
To understand what is happening now and why Mumbai port’s very existence today is un-
sustainable we need to examine cargo movement data and source / destination related
issues.
1. Solid Bulk and Container Cargo
Mumbai port in 2011- 12 handled 22.87 million tonnes of non – POL cargo which includes
solid bulk and container cargo. This number includes 57760 TEU’s of container traffic.
In 2011-12, 3.64 Million tonnes of cargo was handled by the ports railway system while a
majority or 19.23 million tonnes (84 %) of the solid cargo and container traffic had to move
by road … through Mumbai’s already choked road network.
In the middle of this already choked traffic situation, the Mumbai port trust is currently
working to commission a large Offshore Container Terminal ( OCT ) capable of handling 1.2
million TEUs by mid 2013. This will imply a 20 fold increase in container traffic on Mumbai;s
already crowded roads and greatly increase the difficulty of driving through the city. This is
therefore going to prove very dangerous in terms of people who are likely to lose their lives
while driving along roads within the city once the OCT gets commissioned and unleashes its
container traffic.
2. POL / Liquid Cargo
The two Refineries at Mahul together with RCF and Tata Power today contribute in excess of
50 % to the ports revenues. The first three of these plants were repeatedly expanded over
the last two decades even as lakhs of people moved into areas well within the mandatory
exclusion zone as required under the Environment Protection Act. The Act which requires a
25 kilometer distance between the plants and the boundary of the nearest large settlement of
3,00,000 people has seen extremely serious violations in Mahul with traffic moving within 25
meters from large and very dangerous storage tanks and with thousands of people living
within a few hundred meters of lethal chemical storage facilities.
Given the huge threat of an industrial accident in the area there appears to be no other
option but to move the BPCL, HPCL, RCF and Tata Power plants out of Mumbai. The
decision in our view cannot be delayed given the ever present and extremely serious threat
posed by these facilities. Allowing a status quo would in fact mean that we are putting a price
on the life of people living in Chembur, Mahul, Wadala and Sion.

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Domino Effect … of BPCL, HPCL, RCF and Tata Power Re-Location
The Megaproject is of the view that re-location of industries from the Mahul area will
fundamentally alter the skyline of Mumbai and nearly double the city’s GDP by 2020. This will
also have a huge and beneficial impact on welfare schemes for the urban poor who will see a
real benefit in terms of vastly improved Education and Healthcare coverage.
How all this will come about needs to be explained …
If the plants are shut down and then relocated as they must, Mumbai port which last year
handled 33.22 million tonnes of POL cargo out of a total of 56.19 million tonnes will lose in
excess of half its revenue. One does not need to be an expert in logistics or port
management to figure out that Mumbai Port would then be skating on very thin ice with an
un-sustainable business plan.
Given all this , the Megaprojects view is that the inevitable closure of Mumbai port is an event
that must be planned for in a manner that protects the interests of all workers and
pensioners. Secondly the closure needs to be managed in a manner that leads to a sound
and fair resolution of issues for all stakeholders including the plants that are to be shut down
and re-located.
The Mumbai Megaproject’s Solution
There is no doubt that the two refineries ( BPCL and HPCL ) and RCF / Tata Power have to
be moved out of Mumbai ASAP. It is therefore necessary to develop alternative plans that
make economic sense and appear reasonable not just for the stakeholders of the Mumbai
port trust but also the affected companies. The Govt. of Maharashtra has to play a central
role in this and they need to act very qucikly.
The megaproject has developed a comprehensive plan which simultaneously resolves all
constraints. The main elements of the plan are as follows :
1. BPCL , HPCL and RCF will be relocated outside Mumbai under a special scheme
developed by the Megaproject in a manner that allows them to expand capacities. Plan
can be discussed with the managements of these companies on request.
2. All current employees of Mumbai port trust can be transferred to JNPT to safeguard jobs.
If necessary a special plan containing additional safeguards can be prepared to ensure
that their very legitimate needs are addressed in full.

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3. The megaproject has developed two separate concept plans to relocate current Mumbai
port capacities on the other side of the harbor. We have also developed an innovative
plan for integrating these new facilities with the Delhi - Mumbai freight corridor.
It needs to be understood very clearly that there is no option to the re-location of the two
refineries and the RCF / Tata Power plants at Mahul because thousands of lives are at risk.
It is no less important that that the interests of various stakeholders, including Mumbai ports
25,000 employees and an equal number of pensioners are protected. Our view is that if a
long term rational approach is not adopted right in the beginning, there could be a collapse
of Mumbai ports business plan with considerable hardship to all. We have stated our un-
ambiguous view on this issue so that minimum time is lost in reaching a rational solution that
is acceptable to all.
Project details will be shared with concerned parties and the government under a properly
structured government initiative. The Megaproject is committed to social justice as is clear
from its “ Sarvodaya “ philosophy. We are not backed by and will not back any special
commercial interests in any of our projects.
Ashish Puntambekar
Project Designer
The Planning and Design Lab
Projects
The Mumbai Megaproject
& The Indian Education Megaproject ... High quality Education to 126 Million Children Totally Free of cost
Contact Details : ashish@mumbaimegaproject.com
ashish.puntambekar@gmail.com

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NOTE
This document is protected by Indian Copyright Law. Please specifically quote your
source while using the text / material presented herein, to avoid legal action.
Pictures used within this document have been taken from the internet. They are therefore
representative and not necessarily from a location in Mumbai or Maharashtra. The
pictures used are generic and we have provided a link on the website ( to be updated
from time to time ) where we have identified the source of the pictures. In case of any
oversight on our part, please let us know and we will immediately rectify the matter.