Mumbai: Fishermen and citizens organisations have opposed the proposed coastal ring road for the metropolis, for which Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is
lobbying hard at the Centre for its clearance.
"The chief minister should have consulted fishermen
before finalising the coastal road plan," President of Akhil
Maharashtra Machhimar Kriti Samiti Damodar Tandel said.
"The construction of the coastal road would endanger
the livelihood of fishermen and destroy most of the koliwadas
(fishermen colonies) in Mumbai," Tandel told a news agency.
There are 5,000 mechanised trawlers in Mumbai and
around 8 lakh fishermen stay in 40 koliwadas here, Tandel
said. "We supported the Worli sea link project in the larger
interest of the people of Mumbai but we feel no purpose will
be served by the coastal road," he said.
If the government goes ahead with the coastal road
plan, fishermen will organise massive protests, Tandel said.
In a letter to Chavan, Hansel D`Souza, President of
the Juhu Citizens Welfare Group said, "we have read, with
great dismay, reports in the media about your proposal to
construct coastal roads along the coasts of Mumbai.
"With the construction of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link,
the Worli-Haji Ali Sea Link and the Bandra-Versova Sea Link, a
parallel coastal road will be absolutely redundant. Similarly,
the Sewri to Panvel Sea Link, if connected seamlessly to the
Thane-Belapur Road, will run parallel to the Eastern Coastal
Road," he said.
PTI
