Mumbai coastal road-sea link interchange in violation of clearances: Fisherfolk

The representatives of Worli Koliwada Nakhwa Vyavsay Sahakari Society wrote to Maharashtra CM and other officials alleging violations of CRZ clearance granted to Mumbai coastal road project

The representatives of Worli Koliwada Nakhwa Vyavsay Sahakari Society (WKNVSS) on Monday wrote to the Maharashtra chief minister, environment minister and officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), alleging violations of the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) clearance granted in 2017 to the coastal road project. The allegation has been made specifically against a proposed interchange to connect the coastal road with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL), for which the construction is to start this month.

Mumbai civic body plans to construct two connecting bridges between the south-end of BWSL and the north end of the coastal road, which the fisherfolk said will constrict the only navigational route available to boats as they commute to their fishing grounds. (HT FILE)

HT had reported on October 17 that Cleveland Bunder, an artisanal fishing port in Worli Koliwada, may face permanent closure due to this interchange, as it will cut off fishing boats from accessing open seas. BMC plans to construct two connecting bridges between the south-end of BWSL and the north end of the coastal road, which the fisherfolk said will severely constrict the only navigational route available to boats as they commute to their customary fishing grounds. BMC recently began preparing to construct this segment of the controversial infra project, prompting nearly 200 boats from across the Worli fishing zone to block a temporary jetty at the coastal road construction site on October 14.

In Monday’s letter, a copy of which is with HT, the fisherfolk wrote, “One of the specific conditions of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) clearance dated January 4, 2017, was as follows: ‘BMC to ensure that no fishing activity is hampered during construction and operation phase of the project’. Thereafter the final CRZ clearance dated May 11, 2017, was granted by the MoEFCC (Union environment ministry), subject to the following specific condition: ‘Bridges with navigable spans will be provided by the project proponent as committed, so that there are no obstructions to fishing boats’.”

The fisherfolk pointed out that their request for a navigable span (of at least 200 metres, as opposed to the proposed distance of 60 metres) under the interchange has been raised formally on multiple occasions since 2016. The assistant commissioner of fisheries has also written to both BMC and the fisheries commissioner in April 2017 and December 2018, respectively, pointing out to the fisherfolk’s concerns over possible closure of their only navigation route out to sea. Subsequently, in January 2019, the assistant commissioner of fisheries also wrote to fisheries commissioner saying that the department’s no objection certification (NOC) for the project should be re-examined in light of this predicament.

In a parallel development, the Akhil Maharashtra Machimaar Kruti Samiti (AMMKS), a state-wide fishworkers’ collective, which has pledged their support to Worli Koliwada’s fisherfolk, also took up this issue with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The latter had in March 2017 provided a no objection certificate (NOC) for the coastal road project to BMC, which is subject to compliance with 14 statutory conditions.

“In the 14th condition, MSRDC clearly wrote that if fisherfolk are obstructed from doing their business, and if fisherfolk recorded any objections, it will be considered as violating the terms of the NOC,” said Devendra Tandel, president, AMMKS. “These matters are very serious in nature and MSRDC needs to seek an explanation from BMC. It is humbly requested that your NOC for the project be immediately revoked as BMC has violated its 14th condition,” Tandel wrote in his letter, dated October 20.

Both WKNVSS and AMMKS have also pointed out to authorities that the coastal road project has been subject to important design changes that were not part of its original detailed project report (DPR). For example, additional land reclamation of 21 hectares for a protective sea wall was included after finalisation of DPR and cleared by statutory bodies long after construction work began.

“If these design changes were made during the execution of the project, why is it not possible to change the design of the interchange to ensure safe passage of our boats,” WKNVSS wrote in Monday’s letter.

Shweta Wagh, architect and researcher, who has been closely monitoring the impact of coastal road on fishing communities, emphasised that even the design of the original design of BWSL was changed to accommodate a navigation route for fisherfolk leaving from Bathery Jetty, another fish landing centre close to Cleveland Bunder. “If it has been done in the past, there is no reason it cannot be done again,” she said.

Officials in BMC’s coastal road department did not responds to requests for a comment.