Mumbai Coastal Road Project : Can Mumbai’s Infrastructure be balanced with Coastal Conservation?

Mumbai Coastal Road Project : Can Mumbai’s Infrastructure be balanced with Coastal Conservation?

February 22, 2026

The Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP)—formally known as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Coastal Road Project—is one of India’s largest urban transport infrastructure initiatives. Designed to ease congestion along Mumbai’s western corridor, it Read more

Mumbai Coastal Road Project : Can Mumbai’s Infrastructure be balanced

The Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP)—formally known as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Coastal Road Project—is one of India’s largest urban transport infrastructure initiatives. Designed to ease congestion along Mumbai’s western corridor, it connects Marine Drive to Kandivali, reducing travel time significantly and aiming to decongest arterial roads like the Western Express Highway.

Mumbai, with over 20 million people in its metropolitan region, is undeniably infrastructure-starved. However, the project intersects ecologically sensitive coastal zones, including mangrove ecosystems protected under Indian law.

What Is Actually Happening?

Scale of Mangrove Impact

Based on public environmental impact assessments (EIA), court submissions, and regulatory approvals:

  • Mangrove trees directly impacted (cut/transplanted): Approximately 15,000–20,000 individual mangroves.

  • Total mangrove area affected: Approximately 7–10 hectares (17–25 acres), including permanent and temporary disturbance.

  • Total CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) area affected: Much larger (~90+ hectares), but not all of this is mangrove forest.

It is important to note:

  • Not all affected mangrove areas are permanently lost; some are temporarily impacted due to construction.

  • Portions of the project involve reclamation from intertidal mudflats, which function ecologically similar to mangrove-associated habitats.

Legal oversight has included scrutiny by:

  • Bombay High Court

  • National Green Tribunal (NGT)

  • Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)

The project received conditional environmental clearance after litigation and mitigation commitments.

Annual Ecological Impact

🌱 A. Biodiversity Impact


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Mumbai’s mangroves support:

  • Over 150+ bird species (including flamingos)

  • Juvenile fish nurseries

  • Crustaceans (crabs, prawns)

  • Molluscs and mudskippers

  • Migratory birds along Central Asian Flyway

Estimated Annual Biodiversity Effects:

  • Loss of nursery habitat reduces fish recruitment locally.

  • Disruption of intertidal food chains.

  • Fragmentation of mangrove patches increases vulnerability to pollution and invasive species.

  • Increased light, noise, and human activity along newly reclaimed areas.

While the area cleared is small relative to the total mangrove cover in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (~6,000+ hectares), urban mangroves have disproportionately high ecological value due to fragmentation pressures.

 B. Coastal Protection Impact

Mangroves provide:

  • Storm surge buffering

  • Wave energy reduction (up to 60–80% attenuation depending on width)

  • Shoreline stabilization

  • Flood mitigation during extreme rainfall

Annual Risk Increase (Localized)

  • Marginal reduction in natural wave-dissipation capacity along the reclaimed stretch.

  • Increased reliance on engineered sea walls instead of biological buffers.

  • Potential increase in localized flooding if hydrology is altered.

However, the coastal road itself includes engineered sea defenses designed to compensate for natural buffer loss.

C. Carbon Sequestration Impact

Mangroves are among the highest carbon-storing ecosystems on Earth (“blue carbon” systems).

Average Mangrove Carbon Metrics:

  • Carbon storage: 800–1,200 tonnes CO₂ equivalent per hectare (soil + biomass).

  • Annual sequestration rate: ~6–8 tonnes CO₂ per hectare per year.

Estimated Impact (7–10 hectares affected):

  • Total carbon stock potentially disturbed: 5,600–12,000 tonnes CO₂ equivalent.

  • Annual sequestration loss: ~50–80 tonnes CO₂ per year.

Compared to Mumbai’s annual emissions (millions of tonnes CO₂), this is numerically small—but ecologically significant given the rarity of urban blue carbon ecosystems.

Government’s Offset & Mitigation Plan

The government and BMC have proposed:

 1. Compensatory Afforestation

  • Mangrove plantation in degraded areas at a higher ratio (1:3 or more).

  • Restoration in Thane Creek and other coastal zones.

2. Engineered Coastal Defenses

  • Sea walls

  • Tetrapods

  • Revetments

  • Flood-resilient embankments

3. Hydrological Management

  • Stormwater drainage integration

  • Tidal flow maintenance

4. Biodiversity Monitoring

  • Periodic monitoring of bird and marine biodiversity.

  • Sediment and water quality monitoring.

Where the Plan Falls Short

As a biodiversity expert, here are critical gaps:

1. Mangrove Plantation ≠ Mangrove Ecosystem

  • Newly planted mangroves take 15–25 years to reach ecological maturity.

  • Soil carbon accumulation cannot be immediately replaced.

  • Nursery functions for marine life require complex sediment dynamics.

Suggestion:

Adopt long-term ecological restoration frameworks, not just plantation counts.

2. Fragmentation Not Fully Addressed

Urban mangroves already face:

  • Sewage discharge

  • Plastic waste

  • Encroachment

Loss of even small patches increases edge effects.

Suggestion:

Create legally protected Mangrove Biodiversity Corridors across Mumbai’s coastline.

3. Blue Carbon Accounting Missing

Carbon loss is rarely quantified rigorously.

Suggestion:

  • Conduct Blue Carbon Impact Assessment

  • Integrate restoration into voluntary carbon markets

  • Use satellite + soil carbon mapping for transparency

 4. Community & Citizen Monitoring

Urban ecological governance improves when citizens are engaged.

Suggestion:

  • Open mangrove boardwalks in restored areas

  • Citizen science biodiversity mapping

  • School engagement programs

Additional Considerations

Infrastructure vs Ecology – A False Binary?

Mumbai faces:

  • Chronic traffic congestion

  • Economic losses due to delays

  • Pollution from idling vehicles

  • Climate vulnerability (flooding events like 2005, 2017)

Well-planned infrastructure can:

  • Reduce fuel consumption

  • Lower vehicular emissions

  • Improve economic productivity

The key question is not whether to build, but how to build smarter in coastal megacities.

Recommendations for an Improved Model

1. “Net Positive Mangrove Policy”

Every hectare impacted → restore 2–3 hectares of degraded mangrove land.

2. Independent Ecological Audit

Third-party annual ecological impact review.

3. Hybrid Infrastructure

Combine:

  • Sea walls

  • Living shorelines

  • Artificial reefs

4. Remote Sensing Transparency Dashboard

Public dashboard tracking:

  • Mangrove cover

  • Survival rates

  • Carbon gains

5. Climate Resilience Integration

Align project with:

  • Mumbai Climate Action Plan

  • Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

 Conclusion

The Mumbai Coastal Road is a response to genuine urban mobility stress. However, it intersects with fragile mangrove ecosystems that provide:

  • Biodiversity support

  • Flood buffering

  • Blue carbon storage

  • Coastal protection

The ecological loss, though limited in area compared to total regional mangrove cover, is significant because it occurs in a hyper-urban, climate-vulnerable zone.

The real opportunity lies not in defending or opposing the project—but in using it as a case study to develop:

A global model for climate-resilient coastal infrastructure in megacities.

If restoration is executed scientifically and transparently, Mumbai can demonstrate that infrastructure growth and ecological stewardship need not be mutually exclusive.




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