Worli fisherfolk assured of meeting with Maharashtra CM, environment minister

Maharashtra cabinet minister for fisheries, Aslam Shaikh, on Thursday visited Cleveland Bunder in Mumbai’s Worli Koliwada to meet the fisherfolk who are protesting against the construction of an interchange to connect the coastal road and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link

Maharashtra cabinet minister for fisheries, Aslam Shaikh, on Thursday visited Cleveland Bunder in Mumbai’s Worli Koliwada to meet the fisherfolk who are protesting against the construction of an interchange to connect the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) coastal road with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL).

Over 100 fishing boats from Worli Koliwada have been staging a sit-in in the alignment of the interchange since October 30, halting the project’s construction work. (HT FILE )

Speaking to HT, Shaikh said he will soon organise a meeting of Koli community leaders with chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray – who is also the legislator from Worli – so that the fisherfolk can discuss their concerns with them directly.

“CM and the environment minister are not available currently, but I will arrange a meeting with them within the next four-five days, so that the fisherfolk can share their concerns directly. I have met the fisherfolk today and understood their problems first hand. While the coastal road project is important, all the stakeholders concerned need to be made equal participants in the process and no hardships should come on the fisherfolk,” Shaikh said on Thursday.

Nitesh Patil, president of Worli Koliwada Nakhava Matsyavyavsay Sahasaki Society (WKNMSS), who has been leading the protests over the past two weeks, presented Shaikh with a letter detailing their demands for a redesign of the interchange. The civic body plans to construct two connecting bridges between the south-end of BWSL and the north end of coastal road as part of a link that will allow traffic to flow seamlessly between the two structures. The fisherfolk said the interchange will run parallel to Cleveland Bunder and severely constrict the only navigational route available to boats.

In Thursday’s letter, a copy of which is with HT, the fisherfolk wrote, “The current situation is BMC’s fault as they didn’t consult us during the early stages of the project and have consistently refused to meet us despite our requests for the past three years. It is still not too late to make the necessary design change. We will continue our agitation till our demand for the navigation route is met.”

“We hope that as the fisheries minister you will take cognisance of our demands and take the necessary steps to change the design of the interchange at Cleveland Bunder by increasing the distance between the two pillars to 200 metres to provide us with an adequate navigation span to facilitate unhindered and safe access to our fishing grounds and the open sea,” the letter added. As per current specifications, fishing boats will have to pass through two more, successive spans with a distance of 60 metres, which the fisherfolk said is insufficient.

Over 100 fishing boats from Worli Koliwada have been staging a sit-in in the alignment of the interchange since October 30, halting the project’s construction work.