Mumbai Demands by fisherfolk from Worli Koliwada, who since September last year have been protesting an upcoming interchange connecting the Coastal Road and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, were sidelined by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday, which said in a statement that it will not accept the fishers’ demands for a redesign.
In their statement on Thursday, the BMC said, “According to the opinion of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), the proposed width of 60 metres for the navigation span under the bridge connecting Bandra-Worli sea bridge in the Mumbai Coastal Road (South) project proposed by BMC is sufficient and appropriate.”
Chakradhar Kandalkar, chief engineer (Coastal Roads), BMC, said, “We will fit the pillars with fenders so that there will be no damage to the boats passing under it. CCTV cameras will also be installed under the interchange so that in case of any accident, the BMC control room will be notified immediately and emergency assistance will be provided. In case of such accidents, BMC will also provide the fishermen with insurance cover for the next 20 years.”
Fisherfolk have maintained that the proposed distance of 60 metres between the interchange’s pillars is not enough to allow safe passage for their boats, and will force them to halt their trade from Cleveland Bunder, a centuries-old fishing port.
“If the proposed designs are safe, why does the BMC need to install fenders or CCTV cameras for our safety? They cannot expect us to risk our lives. We reject the corporation’s statement and are prepared to halt the construction work once again if our demands are not met,” said Nitesh Patil, secretary of the Worli Koliwada Matsyavyavsay Sahakari Sangathan (a registered fish worker’s society).
Instead, they have demanded that the distance be increased to at least 160 metres, based on a February report submitted to the BMC by independent coastal geomorphologist Sudhakar Thakurdesai.
Thakurdesai in his assessments noted, “Overall changes in the bed morphology due to the proposed coastal road… can be crucial in shallow parts like the navigation channel. Such changes due to temporary construction activities would eventually be stabilised but they will nevertheless cause a permanent change in the area.”
Thakurdesai concludes that the construction of pillars will increase the turbulence in the area, particularly in the shallow, precarious navigation route leading from Cleveland Bunder into the sea, making navigation more precarious. “The vessels need a minimum span of 160 metres looking at the storm surge recorded on Mumbai coast for safe passage,” he said. The report also suggested that routine monitoring of the sandy beaches and shoreline should be carried out before, during and after the project, to get a comparative picture of the change in the shoreline due to the project.
Speaking to Hindustan Times in February, BMC commissioner Iqbal Chahal had said, “We suggest that an independent, qualified institute be appointed to review the situation. The fisherfolk can choose the organisation they feel is best for the task. After an independent review, if it is found that we need to leave a larger span for their boats to pass through, it will be done. It may involve an additional couple of hundred crores [of rupees], but we are open to it. The demand for redesigning needs to be substantiated through a proper assessment.”
On March 21, fisherfolk from Worli Koliwada disrupted the BMC’s contractor from carrying out work on interchange, for the twelfth time in seven months since September 20, 2021. Several boats from Worli Koliwada occupied the construction site, and refused to allow construction work to proceed.