MUMBAI: Municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani assured citizens on Sunday that the Coastal Road gardens will be completed within three seasons.
The assurance came after nonagenarian and prominent citizen B A Desai raised concerns about timelines, citing the civic body’s reputation for delays. Responding to the query, Gagrani said that while Mumbai would witness visible transformation over the next two years, the Coastal Road gardens specifically would be delivered within three seasons.
The announcement was made at a citizen dialogue held at Priyadarshini Park and organised by the Susieben Shah Initiative and the South Mumbai Residents’ Association. The event brought together more than 350 residents from across South Mumbai, from Worli to Colaba. Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora was also present.
The project, envisioned by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, was described as a major step towards creating greener and more sustainable public infrastructure.
Addressing residents, Gagrani said Mumbai was undergoing an “unprecedented transformation” that extended beyond private redevelopment to public infrastructure. “This transformation is inevitable. The challenge before all of us is to make it organised, citizen-friendly and sustainable,” he said, adding that the Coastal Road project had been under discussion for several years.
He noted that the project began in 2018 and overcame multiple hurdles before completion. “It is a mobility project. Having said that, the value addition with the project will now begin henceforth,” he said.
Responding to concerns about gardens being developed on reclaimed land, Gagrani said reclamation has long been part of Mumbai’s history. “Nearly 50% of south Mumbai and 20% of the suburbs stand on reclaimed land. Reclamation began as early as 1720. While it has addressed connectivity challenges, any land not used for transport must be optimally utilised for public purposes,” he said.
He emphasised that there would be no commercial exploitation of the reclaimed land. “The BMC has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that this land will not be used for commercial purposes. No commercial activity will take place. Only minimal maintenance charges for parking or washroom facilities may be levied,” he said.
Explaining the selection of RIL, Gagrani said the BMC had invited expressions of interest from corporates, NGOs and trusts willing to fund the gardens through CSR. Five entities responded, but the civic body insisted that a single organisation take responsibility for the entire stretch from Priyadarshini Park to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
“Reliance was the only company to opt for the entire patch and to commit to maintaining it for 30 years,” Gagrani said, adding that the process was transparent. Other applicants had expressed interest in developing smaller sections, but the BMC wanted a cohesive plan rather than piecemeal development. RIL has appointed seven landscape architects from across the world for the project, he added.
The civic chief also addressed reports of a proposed helipad along the Coastal Road. He clarified that a construction jetty already exists on the Haji Ali–Mahalaxmi stretch and that no fresh reclamation would be undertaken.
“We have requested that instead of dismantling the existing construction jetty, it be converted into a small helipad. We are not reclaiming additional land,” he said.
Gagrani added that south Mumbai lacks adequate helipad facilities and that the proposed 24×7 facility would primarily serve medical emergencies and disaster response, subject to necessary clearances from authorities.