MUMBAI’S COASTAL ROAD PROJECT : JUST A

MORE BURDEN ON OUR ENVIRONEMENT

Roads often bring significant economic and social benefits,but they

can also have substantial negative impacts on communities and the
natural environment.Similar issue of construction of Road by
reclamation of land from sea was seen in our island
city,Mumbai.While Mumbai was battling its crumbling
infrastructure,there was a proposal for construction of coastal road
made in the year 2011 by Maharashtra’s chief minister,Prithviraj
Chavan.Mumbai’s ambitious coastal road project include 29.2 km
roads of 8-lane that would run along Mumbai’s western coastline
connecting Marine Lines in the south to Kandivali in the north.It will
be built on 415 acres of land reclaimed from the sea and an area
equal to 113 Wankhede Stadiums.
Former Chief Minister,Prithviraj Chavan saw Coastal Roads as an
alternative to the plan for western freeway.Construction of coastal
freeway would require a relaxation of Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ)
norms.Thus in 2013,Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management
Authority(MCZMA),the state’s apex environment body urged the
Centre to amend the CRZ notification to permit “reclamation of
roads”. But,National Coastal Zone Management Authority(NCZMA)
did not included the coastal road plan as their agenda.It was during
2014 assembly election,the BJP promised to implement the project if
elected.The project was modified and fast tracked after BJP came to
power.On 6 June 2015,Maharashtra goevernment signed an MoU
with the Dutch government for technical operation in implementing
the project.In 2017,Coatal Road Project got its final clearance from
the MoEF&CC.The foundation stone for the project was laid at
Amarsons Garden in Cumbala Hill on 16 December,2018.Project was
to be implemented in two phases.Phase I to be constructed under
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) and Phase II by MSRDC.
Controversies began to rise and people specially environmentalists
and traiditional fisherfolk communities of Mumbai raised their voice
against the project.They have put allegations on the Central and
State government for illegal sanction of the project.Nine petitions
were filed against the project and they moved to the Bombay High
Court.On 16 April 2019,High Court ordered to hault all construction
activities till the next hearing on 3 June,2019.In between this
period,BMC appealed the order in the Supreme Court.On 6 May
Supreme Court permitted to carry work where it had already strated
but prohibited beginning of work in new areas pending the High
Court’s decision in June 2019.On 16 July Bombay High Court
cancelled the approval granted by MCZMA and MoEF to the Coastal
Road project citing a lack of “proper scientific study”.The court ruled
that the MCGM could not proceed with construction until they
obtained an environmental clearance after a proper Environemental
Impact Assessment was conducted,and the MCZMA would require
permission under the Wilflife Protection Act,1972.On 27th July,the
Supreme Court refused to stay the High Court’s order halting
construction on the project.However,the Supreme Court agreed to
hear the MCGM’s plea seeking interim relief on 20 August.

Loopholes in the Coastal Road Project

Coastal Road Project becomes a controversial one as there are
number of allegations put up by environementalists and Mumbai’s
traditional fisherfolk communities specially Kolis.They allege that the
project is illegal and there is carelessness shown by Ministry of
Environemnt,Forest and Climate Change.Reclamation of 415 acres of
land from sea would irreversibly effect the most ecologically diverse
inter-tidal zones in Ocean life.About 340 documented intertidal
marine life species – have been identified along the western coast of
Mumbai,living in rock pools,mangroves,sea grass,tidal flats and
sandy shores.Fish breeding places will be destroyed.Rehabilation of
mangrove and marine species becomes an impractical idea.Inter-
tidal zone has many rare marine species which are protected under
the schedule I of Wildlife Protectin Act,1972. Ministry of
Environement ,Forest and Climate Change claimed that the project
would not have any adverse impact on tidal behaviour.But,scientists
say the dumping of rocks on the iner-tidal zone space would increase
daily high tides by up to 1.5 metres,which would be detrimental to
the survival of local fisherfolk.Ironically,it was the Coastal Road DPR’s
own environmental impact assessment study which say that one of
the main causes of the 2005 floods in Mumbai was the reclamation
for the Bandra Kurla Complex and if that wasn’t done the destruction
by the floods could have much less.
Prponents of the project say it will help decongest the city’s crowded
streets.Minstry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change estimate
that the proposed project will reduce commuting time by 70 per cent
and save 34 per cent of fuel per day.But,critics have a stronger side
as they emphasise on the fact that nearly 45 per cent of Mumbai’s
residents use suburban trains while the rest of the population nearly
gets covered by city’s iconic red buses,run by the Brihanmumbai
Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking(BEST).High budgeted
Coastal Roads will only cater to 1.25% of Mumbai’s population,who
own cars and commute along the city’s western coast.Coastal Road
are affair of elite class of Mumbai as they can only pay heavy toll tax
of 250 rupees which will be collected by MSRDC.Even this 8-lanes
road project will be more confined to private four-wheelers as there
will only be 2 lanes for public vehicles and no lane for two- and three
wheelers.
It’s high time when we humans should stop disturbing our nature
else it would be too late to rectify our mistakes.We have invited
destruction of mankind by making such ostrich policies.Our
government should understand that more roads and reclamation is
not the solution to the problem of congestion.It would even
incentivise private car ownership.It shows our ministry’s lack of
vision.Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking
(BEST) which ran iconic red buses in Mumbai which gave a
slogan,Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST (Our Mumbai Our BEST),should
be revived again.Better sea links are also a sustainable option which
would even increase trade.MCZMA and MoEF should do their work
efficiently and give approval to a project only a after a proper
analysis of the project.Any project which threatens our environment
should be taken off.We should not burden our environment like this
at the expel of human development.Else human destruction is not so
far.