Akhil Maharashtra Macchhimar Kriti Samiti, a representative body of fishermen in the State, on Monday alleged that the Devendra Fadnavis government by going ahead with the construction of the 29-km-long coastal road was exposing Mumbai to the risk of large-scale flooding.
The Samiti threatened to stage a massive protest if the government did not reverse its decision.
The proposed road from Nariman Point to Malad has been a bone of contention between the fishing community in Mumbai and the State government over issues of livelihood and ecological factors.
The Samiti president, Damodar Tandel, accused the State government of ignoring the impact of reclaiming land for the coastal road as well as constructing a memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in the middle of the Arabian Sea. He said areas such as Dadar Chowpatty would be completely inundated if the government went ahead with its plans.
“This will be a real cause for large-scale over-flooding in Mumbai during monsoon in the future. There have been instances of sea water entering Shivaji Park, the heart of Mumbai,” said Mr. Tandel said at a media conference.
He also articulated the livelihood concerns of the fishermen community, the Koli community in particular, as the area for fishing would shrink as land is taken away for the construction of both projects.
Recalling that already 100 acres of land allotted to fishing activities had been removed from the no-development-zone list, Mr. Tandel described this as an effort by the State government to bulldoze the original inhabitants of Mumbai out of the city.
“These lands which are meant for fishing activities will be used on a large scale for construction of the coastal road. Open spaces of Koliwada are being given to developers on a platter,” he said.
Though no specific allocation was made for the coastal road, the Maharashtra budget presented last month earmarked a sum of Rs. 100 crore for the construction of the memorials of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Dr. Ambedkar at Indu Mill compound in central Mumbai.
