'Mumbai will lose beaches to coastal road'

Mumbai will be left without any beaches if the coastal road proposed by the municipal corporation becomes a reality.

The proposal will also affect "kill the fishing business", leaving the kolis, the original inhabitants of Mumbai, in the lurch.

Last week, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed building a coastal road from Marine Drive to Madh Marve, connecting the stretches between Priyadarshini Park, Mahalaxmi and Worli by way of tunnels.

"A coastal road across the western stretch of Mumbai will be the end of all major beaches, including Juhu and Girgaum beaches. Look what Dadar and Mahim beaches have become after the sea link has come up," pointed out Damodar Tandel, president of the city's fishermen community.

"It will doom the city. Fishermen will be left without any business and the koli community will be displaced," he added.

Tandel said that the proposal also goes against government circulars which say the Koli community has to be taken into confidence for all such proposals.

"How can the BMC announce such plans without taking us into confidence? There are more than 5,000 boats in Mumbai and the fishing villages of Juhu, Marve and Versova together have more than 500 boats. There will be no fishing left if the road comes up," he added.

But, civic officials contested the claims.

They said that the proposal will create public amenity spaces along the coastal roads.

The BMC plans to make provisions for open spaces for pedestrians and build promenades on both sides of the coastal roads for pedestrians and cyclists alike.

Tandel, however, said that nothing can replace the glory of an original beach and “the BMC can start a waterway with speed boats if it  wants”.

"State minister Ganesh Naik travels in his hi-speed boat to Mantralaya from Navi Mumbai every day. Then why can't it be done for the common man?" Tandel asked.