December 24, 2016: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for what is set to be the world's tallest statue, which is worth Rs 3600 crore and has sparked criticism and an online petition against the project.
The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, a 17th-century Hindu ruler who fought the Muslim Mughal dynasty and carved out his own kingdom, will be more than twice the size of the Statue of Liberty and five times higher than Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.The structure, a pet project of Hindu nationalist Modi, will rise 192 metres (630 feet) from an island off the western coast of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has approved a proposal to use rubble from the 33.5-km-long Colaba-Seepz underground Metro line for building the memorial in the sea.
The real question is that is a 3600 crore budget project the need of the hour?
The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, a 17th-century Hindu ruler who fought the Muslim Mughal dynasty and carved out his own kingdom, will be more than twice the size of the Statue of Liberty and five times higher than Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.The structure, a pet project of Hindu nationalist Modi, will rise 192 metres (630 feet) from an island off the western coast of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has approved a proposal to use rubble from the 33.5-km-long Colaba-Seepz underground Metro line for building the memorial in the sea.
The real question is that is a 3600 crore budget project the need of the hour?
Project Details
PROS:
CONS:
- The project has a master plan for 15.96 hector area in the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. It will cover up Technical & Feasibility Studies.
- The project would cover up a 192 meter statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the concept plan.
- It would also include an amphitheatre and auditoriums which will have a capacity of 500 and 2000 respectively.
- The project will also include an exhibition gallery.
- An art museum would be implemented in an area of 4000 sq. meter.
- A world class aquarium would also be included.
- The project would include a library regarding the information on Shivaji’s life.
- The statue would have the viewing galleries within itself at various levels.
- Administrative blocks would be built for higher managements and authorities.
- The project would have helipads, jetties, sea wall and breakwaters.
PROS:
- Tourist Attraction: The Shivaji Memorial would be a massive tourist spot which would draw both local, national and international tourists just like the “Elephanta Cave” does.
- Generate Employment: The project would provide huge employment to many people like labors, vendors, small restaurants, food sellers, etc.
- Help the Fishermen Community: Fishermen used to hold agitation against the project. However as CM of Maharashtra had said, there will be no roadways to the memorial. That means visitors need to reach the memorial by boats which would be run by the fishermen only. So it would be more beneficial to them. (Source:- Shivaji memorial project) Fishermen need not worry about losses, says Maharashtra government
- Green Project: Initially, environmentalist were skeptical that the project would hamper the environment. However, the project has been deemed as a green project since it would be built from rubble obtained from the 33.5-km-long Colaba-Seepz underground Metro line. It is estimated that 5–6 million cubic meter of hard rock will be received from the tunnel activity and building stations. When this would be crushed, it will provide 10–12 million cubic meter of sand.
- Revenue Generation for the BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation):There will be two points from where visitors would take a boat to the Shivaji memorial. These points are Nariman point and Gateway of India. BMC will build multilevel car parks where the visitors can park their cars. This will generate revenue for the BMC which can be used for productive work like good maintenance of the drainage system of the city.
CONS:
- Investing in eradicating poverty/generating employment: In October 2016 when Global Hunger Index was calculated, India ranked 97th among 118 developing countries. Source: India ranked 97th of 118 in global hunger index – (Times of India). This is enough to tell about poverty in India.
- Big cost: Rs 3,600 crore being spent on building a show piece on the middle of the sea is nothing but a waste of tax payer’s hard earned money. This coming at the time when the whole of India is cringing under the burden of demonetization, poverty, plight of farmers, water deficit in Maharashtra and more is definitely a big waste that could have been used in better and productive ways
- Fishermen’s plight: The livelihood of over 1.5 lakh fishermen will be put at stake during the construction of the memorial and even after that. The Koli community has been severely protesting but there seems to be no hearing the plight of these poor people earning livelihood out of the sea. There could surely have been a better way of honoring Shivaji that did not include making the poor suffer.
- Debt burden: The economic survey table shows that Maharashtra’s stands with a debt burden of 3.3 lakh crores. Maharashtra alone accounts for 12.2 per cent of total debt burden of all the states that are on the top of the debt list. At this time the state should not have called for this big wastage of tax payer’s money.
- Environment concern: Building a structure as big as this would adversely affect marine life. Hampering ecology and degrading the environment is a big concern that comes with raising a structure on the middle of the sea. This issue is also being ignored as environmentalists have come out to protest that the construction of the structure would adversely affect the ecology.
- All for politics: Congress delayed the project and BJP finds it as an opportunity to show people that he has the upper hand when it comes to the welfare of the community. Shiv Sena wants a part of the credit too but BJP is bent on not sharing it. The project was delayed one and a half years to hatch it just in time for the BMC polls. So much of wastage just for political gain.
There are people whose livelihood would be affected. Marine life and ecological concerns are also sidelined. The debt of the state also couldn’t stop the construction. Forget demonetization, the government has enough to fulfill the big demands that will get them big votes in the next poll.