Environmental activist have opposed Port and Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane's demand to hand over reclaimed land from the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) to the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) for commercial activities. In a letter, activist Zoru Bhathena reminded Rane that the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF) had ruled in 2017 that this land could not be used for commercial or residential purposes.
The BMC has proposed creating recreational spaces on a portion of the 111 hectares of reclaimed land from the MCRP. The civic body also informed the Supreme Court (SC) that after using 40 hectares for the coastal road and related infrastructure, the remaining land would be dedicated solely to open space development and landscaping. However, in his letter to municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Rane referred to Section 43(3) of the Indian Ports Act, 1908, which grants port authorities control over reclaimed land. He argued that this land could be used for commercial maritime activities, including tourism, business operations, and public events.
However, in his letter, Bhathena reminded Rane that the MoEF's approval for the MCRP explicitly prohibited the use of reclaimed land for commercial or residential purposes. The approval also required that open spaces created by the reclamation be protected from encroachment. Bhathena referred to the 2019 SC ruling, which mandates apex court approval for any further development on the coastal road. "Under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Regulations, commercial use of reclaimed land is not allowed, and the specific provisions for open spaces, parks, and and gardens as 'No Development Zone', Green Lungs, where commercial or residential use is prohibited," Bhathena stated. He urged Rane to withdraw any plans for the commercial exploitation of the reclaimed land.
Meanwhile, Rane, on the social media platform X, has responded to Bhathena, clarifying that his letter to the BMC had been misinterpreted. He explained that he has written a letter asking the BMC to have a revenue sharing model, if it does come up with any revenue generation measures like hoardings or event of any kind.
