An Analysis Of The Coastal Road Project In Mumbai

Falgu Mukati, SVKMS Pravin Gandhi College of Law, Mumbai University

ABSTRACT

This paper is an analysis or a summary of the Coastal Road Project in Mumbai. The Coastal Road Project is being constructed in Mumbai in order to ease the increasing the traffic congestion in the city. Mumbai being the financial capital sees a lot of vehicular movement for various business activities. The increase in vehicular movement has led to a lot of air pollution and poor air quality. In order to decrease pollution levels and ease the increasing traffic congestion BMC is constructing the Coastal Road connecting South Bombay to Northern Suburbs. The proposed Coastal Road will not only ease traffic congestion but also reduce the travel time from Mumbai to Kandivali from 2 hours to 40 minutes. The Coastal Road had been proposed late back in 1960s by Wilber Smith. Much later in 2011 the project was proposed by the then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chauhan. Later on, the newly elected Shiv Sena and BJP government sought permission from the Central Government for environmental clearances for the project. Since the proposal of the project there have been several people opposing the project. Fishermen, environmentalists, activists and NGOs have been protesting against this project since start. However, despite several objections the project has been given a go ahead by the SC after quashing aside the stay granted by the Bombay High Court.