Fishermen oppose plan to reclaim land off Mumbai coast

Fishermen have opposed a Dutch expert’s proposal to reclaim parts of the Arabian Sea to tide over land shortage in Mumbai.

Fishermen have opposed a Dutch expert’s proposal to reclaim parts of the Arabian Sea to tide over land shortage in Mumbai.

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Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, on Friday, had suggested the option. “The 8 lakh fishermen in Mumbai and the working class in the city will never allow such a proposal,” Akhil Maharashtra Macchimar Kriti Samiti president Damodar Tandel said.

“The government should first look into the problems of the Mumbai coast, especially the fact that 2-3 km of the coastline is filled with sludge,” he added. He also said that fishermen were still reeling under the adverse effect of the reclamation at Nariman Point.

In a presentation to chief minister on Friday, Netherlands –based Ronal Waterman, a coastal development and land reclamation expert, had suggested that a portion of the sea near the Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Malabar Hill, Mahim and the port areas could be developed.

In August 2010, Singapore-based consultancy firm Surbana International, appointed by the state to propose a vision for the development of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, had also suggested reclaiming parts of the sea to counter land shortage.