Mumbai: BMC faces backlash over Coastal Road open space plan presentation

The Coastal Road partially opened up on Monday, March 11. Pic/Shadab Khan

The BMC presented its plan for developing open space on the reclamation for the Coastal Road on Thursday in front of architects, urban planners, and resident associations. Some of the architect and resident associations opposed the plan but the BMC asked them to send their opinions through emails.

The Coastal Road partially opened up on Monday, March 11. Now the BMC presented the plan to develop 70 hectares of open space which was reclaimed to construct the road. The open space is divided into three parts, the landside, the sea promenade, and the narrow space between the north and south lanes.

The BMC divided the precincts into three parts - Green Shore, Nature Cove, and Park Line from Marine Drive to Worli. The Green Shore will be from Priyadarshini Park to Breach Candy Hospital. The second section will be from the hospital to Lotus Jetty, and the third will extend from Lovegrove Nallah to the Coast Guard office at Worli. Though the BMC is thinking of starting the process of drawing and floating the tender by June 2024, residents and architects who attended the presentation weren't satisfied with it.

Nandini Chabria, an officer bearer of the Breach Candy Resident Forum who was present at the meeting said, "We are happy that the BMC invited us to show the plan. But it was just a plan and as urban planners we expected a detailed layout with dimensions to understand it. Our main concern is that it should not be converted into a tourist spot and the BMC should consider our already congested neighbourhood. We already face a lot of crowds and it is not about any social class."

Alan Abraham, a city planner said, "The BMC made a presentation but when the invitees started discussion and questioning, they wrapped up the whole program. The open spaces should be accessible 24/7 to all just like the Coastal Road but as per the BMC's presentation the landscape from Breach Candy to Worli is not connected and there is ambiguity over the timings." Abraham said the BMC asked us to send emails, but there wasn't any reply to last year's email. So we don't think the corporation wants any suggestions." "We are expecting suggestions and objections till the next 10 days and then we will go ahead with the plan and probably the tender float in June," said an official with the coastal road project.

70 HA
Area of open space to be developed