Citizen groups, NGOs intensify opposition to coastal road

Various citizen groups and NGOs, who have come together under the banner of Apna Mumbai Abhiyan (AMA), on Thursday not only reiterated their demand to scrap the Rs13,000 crore proposed coastal road, but also threatened the state government that they would not mind taking to the streets or moving court if the project goes ahead.

The group was opposed to the fact that even before obtaining final clearance from the MoEF, the civic body had called for an Expression of Interest in April for four stretches of the road.

"There is no discussion required now; the ill-conceived and poorly planned coastal road needs to be scrapped, because even if we ignore the environment damage it's set to cause, the project is not even going to help the city ease traffic congestion as its only for the benefit of private car owners. The city needs mass transit modes," said DM Sukthankar, former municipal commissioner and chairman of AGNI.

Environmentalist Darryl D'monte said the BMC had not held a single public consultation on the coastal road. "This is a project of the city and imagine, its own people are being kept in the dark about it. We have been trying to reach the BMC, but it has showed no interest in engaging with the citizens. It's obvious that in spite of wanting to talk to us the consultants can't do it without a go-ahead from the BMC," said D'monte, adding that it was the fundamental right of the people to know what would happen to their beaches, mangroves and the environment due to this project.

In fact, D'monte said, all over the world governments were trying to discourage people from taking out their cars and encourage mass transit and pedestrians facilities, but in Mumbai, the coastal road will only benefit the car owners.

"The bigger question is how will motorists reach the coastal road as the current planned access roads are already congested and the coastal road only threatens more congestion. How can such a road be viable?" he questioned.

The citizen groups who have come together under the AMA are clear that they will act as a pressure group and not relent till the government hears them out. Filmmaker and activist Ashoke Pandit said, "The biggest citizen forums from across Mumbai are now together, we will first try to approach the authorities and if they do not meet us we all will take to the streets and even go to the judiciary. The high-handedness of the government will not be tolerated."

Hussain Indorewala, a faculty at the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture and Environmental Studies, who is one of the strong voices resisting this project, said that while on the one hand the government demolishes houses built on forest land or amid mangroves citing environment laws, on the other it itself is doing a project against it.

"Roughly, 1.25 lakh cars were supposed to ply on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, but today, only around 45,000 ply. Also, the cost of this sea link shot up by 400% by the time it got ready. Imagine the escalation in the cost of the coastal road," he said, adding that the same amount can be used for more sustainable and effective mass transit projects.