Mumbai to get twin mangrove parks at Gorai, Dahisar

The dedicated mangrove-themed urban ecological park in Gorai is being developed near the jetty at a cost of around ₹30 crore. It will integrate eco-tourism, conservation, and education about mangroves

MUMBAI: The lush green mangroves that largely remained untouched in Gorai and Dahisar will now be part of mangrove parks. The one in Gorai is likely to open on November 15, while work is still underway in Dahisar.

. “There will be an 800-m-long elevated, wooden, eco-sensitive boardwalks meandering through the mangroves for tourists,” said sources.

Apart from the mangrove parks, the project in Gorai will also feature an integrated tourism hub with a Vintage Car Museum, a Wax Museum, and a Historical Event Museum. The Mangrove Cell is developing the mangrove parks, while the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is developing the tourism hub, according to sources. These projects are being directly monitored by Union Minister and MP of Mumbai North, Piyush Goyal, who, earlier this week, took stock of the status in a high-level meeting in Borivali.

The dedicated mangrove-themed urban ecological park in Gorai is being developed near the jetty at a cost of around ₹30 crore. It will integrate eco-tourism, conservation, and education about mangroves. The interpretation centre here will educate people about coastal protection, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration. It also includes models, digital displays, and informative signage. “There will be an 800-m-long elevated, wooden, eco-sensitive boardwalks meandering through the mangroves for tourists. Currently, the project is in its final stages of execution, with infrastructure and interpretive components nearing completion,” said sources who were present at the high-level meeting.

The government officials claimed that there have been no felling or cutting of mangroves for these boardwalks. “If they are constructing elevated wooden boards, then obviously it will have some impact on the mangroves below. The authorities should ensure proper transplantation if any mangrove is damaged. At Dahisar, one could see an access road being built for the mangrove park. The government should also remove the illegal bus stand created near the park,” said a resident in a nearby locality who didn’t want to be named.

Meanwhile, at the Dahisar plot, 0.93 hectares out of the total 30 hectares of the mangrove land will be opened to the public. The mangrove park here is being developed at a cost of ₹80 crore. The park will be located along the Link Road parallel to Metro 2A, for which work started in April this year, and would take two years for completion. The park will feature a 400-meter-long trail around the mangroves, recreational activities such as an observatory, crab pond, a floating jetty, and kayak trails connecting Dahisar and Gorai.

“We intend to develop an Aquarium, Tent City, Luxury Hotel, Adventure Centre, etc., apart from the museums at the tourism hub in Gorai through a public-private participation model. A compound wall is being constructed all around this plot where the hub is proposed,” said sources in the government.

The MTDC holds a 128-acre land in Gorai for this integrated tourism hub. Of the 6,500 m perimeter of the land, a compound wall is being built along 5,400 m, said sources. Encroachments on the remaining portion of the park are being removed. The government is likely to complete work on this compound wall by December, barring a few stretches where encroachment is thick.