Fisherfolk need 160 metres under Coastal Road-Sea Link interchange

Fisherfolk had earlier demanded a span of 200 metres, and have refused to allow the BMC’s contractors to proceed with construction work in their navigation channel until this dispute is resolved

Mumbai An independent assessment of claims by protesting fisherfolk from Cleveland Bunder in Worli Koliwada -- who maintain that the construction of an interchange between the Coastal Road and the southern end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link will cut them off from their traditional fishing grounds -- was submitted to environment minister Aaditya Thackeray and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday. BMC commissioner Iqbal Chahal had, in November last year, agreed to an independent review of the fishers’ claims before taking a decision on increasing the navigation span.

Thakurdesai concludes that the construction of pillars will increase the turbulence in the area, particularly in the shallow, precarious navigation route leading from Cleveland Bunder into the sea (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The assessment was carried out by coastal geomorphologist Sudhakar Thakurdesai at the behest of the Worli Koliwada Nakhava Matsyavyavsay Sahakari Society (WKNMSS) and states that the fishers require a span of at least 160 metres under the interchange to ensure safe passage for their boats, as opposed to the 60 metres which have been proposed by the BMC in their current design specifications.

Fisherfolk had earlier demanded a span of 200 metres, and have refused to allow the BMC’s contractors to proceed with construction work in their navigation channel until this dispute is resolved.

Thakurdesai in his assessments notes that the “overall changes in the bed morphology due to the proposed coastal road... can be crucial in shallow parts like the navigation channel.” Such changes due to temporary construction activities would eventually be stabilized but they will nevertheless cause a permanent change in the area. The difference in near-shore morphology changes that will occur after the Coastal Road is completed is observed to be significant as the area is shallow.”

Thakurdesai concludes that the construction of pillars will increase the turbulence in the area, particularly in the shallow, precarious navigation route leading from Cleveland Bunder into the sea.

“The vessels need a minimum span of 160 meters looking at the storm surge recorded on Mumbai coast for safe passage,” he said. The report also suggests that routine monitoring of the sandy beaches and shoreline should be carried out before, during and after the project, to get a comparative picture of the change in the shoreline due to the project.

According to the Marine Fisheries Statistics of 2016, the Worli fishing village has 800 fishing families and a population of 3055 The two fishermen societies, namely the Worli Macchimaar Sarvoday Co-op Society Ltd and the Worli Koliwada Nakhwa Fisheries Coop Society Ltd, have 190 boats in total. The Worli landing centre recorded production of 2,575 tonnes in the year 2017-18.

Officials in the BMC did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. However, speaking to Hindustan Times in November last year, commissioner Iqbal Chahal had said that the BMC is not opposed to redesigning the interchange, provided that fisherfolk’s demands were first “properly reviewed”.

“We suggest that an independent, qualified institute be appointed to review the situation. The fisherfolk can choose the organisation they feel is best for the task. After an independent review, if it is found that we need to leave a larger span for their boats to pass through, it will be done. It may involve an additional couple of hundred crores [of rupees], but we are open to it. The demand for redesigning needs to be substantiated through a proper assessment,” Chahal had said.