Thane Coastal Road Work Sparks Concerns Over Access And Safety Of Historic Our Lady Of Hope Church

Mumbai, June 23: Concerns have been raised over excavation and road construction activities near the historic Our Lady of Hope Church in Ghodbunder, Thane, following a notice issued for the removal of a portion of the church's access steps to facilitate the ongoing Thane Coastal Road Project.

According to an official letter dated May 5, 2026, issued by a construction company to the management of Our Lady of Hope Church, existing cement steps and steel railings leading to the church fall within the alignment of the Balkum-Gaimukh NH3 Connector Ghodbunder Bypass DP Road, popularly known as the Thane Coastal Road Project. The company has requested the church authorities to dismantle the affected structures to enable construction work.

The letter states that the obstruction occurs along the project corridor. To minimise inconvenience to devotees, the contractor has proposed a temporary access road during the construction phase and assured the church that a permanent Foot Over Bridge (FOB) will be constructed and handed over under the terms of the project agreement.

Heritage Concerns Raised

However, the proposal has sparked concern among members of the Christian community and heritage conservation advocates. In a complaint addressed to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and several government authorities, the Watchdog Foundation warned that excavation and earth-moving activities near the church could threaten the structural stability of the centuries-old religious site.

The organisation described Our Lady of Ghormal Church as one of the oldest surviving Christian heritage structures in the region, believed to be more than 500 years old. It noted that approximately 100 of the nearly 210 steps leading to the hilltop shrine may be dismantled, potentially restricting access for worshippers.

The hilltop shrine in Nagla Bunder along Ghodbunder Road is the venue for Ghormal Cha Sann, the annual feast of Our Lady of Hope.

Believed to date back to the post-Portuguese-Maratha War period of 1683-84, the church had fallen into ruins and was restored in 1995 under Rev. Dominic Pereira with support from parishioners of St John the Baptist Church. The steps to the church were built to help senior citizens climb the hillock.

Demand For Technical Assessment

The foundation also expressed concern that vibrations, soil displacement and changes to ground conditions caused by excavation could damage the church's foundations and lead to structural distress.

It has urged the ASI to conduct an immediate site inspection, undertake a structural assessment through conservation experts, verify regulatory clearances and, if necessary, suspend work pending a technical evaluation.

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The complainants warned that failure to safeguard the historic church could result in the loss of an irreplaceable part of the region's cultural and religious heritage. Authorities had not issued an official response at the time of publication.

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