Green Push for Coastal Road Project as Citizens Call for Eco-Friendly Open Space

Green Push for Coastal Road Project as Citizens Call for Eco-Friendly Open Space

As the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) progresses, citizens are urging the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to adopt a visionary approach for the open spaces along the project’s 70-hectare land parcel. With the BMC considering private collaborations for the development and maintenance of these spaces, a group of concerned citizens has launched an online petition advocating for the creation of a dense, green forest along the coastline to improve the city’s environment and preserve its natural heritage.

The petition, which is rapidly gaining traction, calls for the establishment of forests filled with native tree species such as Peepal, Neem, and Banyan. These trees, the petitioners argue, would play a vital role in protecting Mumbai’s coastal ecosystem. Of the 111 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea for MCRP, 70 hectares have been earmarked for development. The BMC’s ambitious plans for this stretch include a 7.5-kilometre continuous promenade designed to resemble Marine Drive, with green spaces, musical fountains, cycling tracks, and amphitheaters, set to be open to the public by May 2025. The BMC is also seeking private partners to help fund the project, with an estimated Rs. 400 crore to be raised through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

However, the citizen group ‘Save Our Coast Mumbai’, which initiated the petition, is urging the BMC to reconsider the project’s environmental impact. They have outlined six key demands, including keeping the coastal forest free from commercial exploitation, ensuring transparent public consultations, and adhering to ecological zoning principles. These principles, they argue, would maximize community benefits, enhance urban cooling, prevent flooding, and improve Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) by at least 50-100 points. The petitioners are also calling for the establishment of a citizen-government oversight committee to ensure accountability and the inclusion of the forest in Mumbai’s climate resilience strategy (MCAP).

Since its launch, the petition has amassed 12,676 signatures, with citizens proposing an east-west zoning plan for the open space. The eastern zone would serve as a dense forest to protect residential areas, while the western zone would be a publicly accessible green space. The central area, according to the petitioners, should feature walking trails lined with medicinal and fruit-bearing trees. As the BMC explores private sector partnerships for the project, the citizen petition stands as a strong reminder of the growing demand for a greener, more sustainable Mumbai.