Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change asks Maharashtra government to examine complaints regarding Versova-Bhayander Coastal Road and take necessary action

Mumbai: The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change has requested the state government to examine the complaints alleging non-compliance of stage-I conditions and allied issues regarding the diversion of 104 hectares of mangrove land for the proposed Versova-Bhayander Coastal Road project and take necessary action.

On June 19, 2025, BMC had received in-principle stage-I approval for the diversion of mangroves for the second phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road project linking Versova to Dahisar and Dahisar to Bhayander from the Union ministry.

Recently, citizen groups have been protesting against the proposal to fell about 137 trees within the Nana-Nani Park at Versova as well as the impact on more than 45,000 mangrove trees. They pointed out that a significant portion of the destruction of mangrove ecosystems is attributable to the design of the interchange structures. ‘

According to civic officials, the project will permanently impact over 8.2 hectares of mangrove area and affect approximately 9,000 mangrove trees. Additionally, nearly 68.6 hectares of mangrove area and 36,000 mangrove trees will be in the shadow region of the coastal road.

The project alignment partially runs on land and partially over the creeks, with most of it passing through the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). A BMC official said “We have followed all due processes and complied with all conditions. We will assure the state govt that whatever action had to be taken regarding CRZ, mangroves and ecology has been taken, besides all compliances have been adhered to and no condition has been violated.”

The project, which stretches across approximately 60km, including interchanges and connectors, features elevated roads, bridges, and two tunnels, will connect Versova to Bhayander, and will reduce travel time from 90-120 minutes to just 15-20 minutes. The route will extend from Versova, Malad, Malvani, Kandivli, and Borivli to Dahisar, continuing through Mira Road and ending at Bhayander.

To compensate for mangrove loss, a comprehensive restoration plan has been prepared by the Mumbai Mangrove Cell, which will oversee its implementation, and the BMC will pay for the same. While as many as 137,025 mangrove saplings will be planted, the cell will also undertake mangrove afforestation on 31 hectares of land in Bhayander to compensate for the green loss. The BMC will transfer an equivalent area of non-forest land to the forest department for compensatory afforestation. In Chandrapur district’s Chimur taluka, 103.7 hectares of land in survey number 354 at Vihirgaon has been designated as non-forest land.