The Mumbai municipal government has launched a series of mega\ninfrastructure projects to improve connectivity and ease traffic\ncongestion in India\u2019s financial capital. However, the construction of a\nnew 26-kilometre coastal road is predicted to clear around 45,000\nmangrove trees.<\/p>\n
According to a Channel News Asia (CNA) report on Thursday\n(30\/7\/2026), the threat of this clearing has triggered deep concern\namong environmental activists and local residents. The removal of tens\nof thousands of mangrove trees is seen as likely to eliminate the city\u2019s\nnatural defence against tidal flooding, sea surges and the impacts of\nclimate change.<\/p>\n
Every monsoon season, heavy rainfall routinely submerges parts of\nMumbai, paralysing residents\u2019 daily activities. Rapid urbanisation over\nseveral decades has not been matched by improvements to drainage\ninfrastructure, whilst the city\u2019s low-lying coastal location makes it\nhighly vulnerable to rising sea levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cMumbai is an island city created from land reclamation, so the sea\nconstantly presses against and erodes the land. Mangrove forests are the\nnatural defence against these tides. As climate change raises sea\nlevels, water pressure also increases, and mangroves are what hold back\nthat destruction,\u201d explained Stalin Dayanand, Director of the\nenvironmental group Vanashakti.<\/p>\n
Compensatory Planting Scheme and Government Steps<\/p>\n
The Bombay High Court has ordered the compensatory planting of\napproximately 174,000 new mangrove trees to replace those affected by\nthe project. The replanting will take place at several locations,\nincluding along the new toll road route once construction is\ncomplete.<\/p>\n
The Maharashtra state government has reaffirmed its commitment to\nbalancing environmental conservation needs with urban infrastructure\ndevelopment. Local authorities have even established a dedicated\nMangrove Cell unit since 2012 to protect, conserve and restore damaged\nareas, as well as to patrol against land encroachment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe planning authorities have promised to plant three to five times\nthe number of mangroves that will be felled. Ultimately, the net result\nwill be an increase in mangrove coverage in the city and the state,\nreflecting sustainable development,\u201d declared Ameet Satam, a member of\nthe Maharashtra Legislative Council.<\/p>\n
Criticism from Environmental Activists and Loss of Ecosystems<\/p>\n
Critics and environmental activists argue that planting new mangroves\ncannot instantly replace the function of mature forests, which take\ndecades to grow fully. During that growth period, wildlife ecosystems\nface extinction and the livelihoods of local fishing communities could\nbe drastically disrupted.<\/p>\n
Estimated data show that around 40% of Mumbai\u2019s mangrove forests were\nlost between 1991 and 2001 due to accelerating urbanisation. Dayanand\nbelieves the infrastructure project could in fact have been designed to\npass over or underground to minimise damage, although this would cost\nslightly more.<\/p>\n
Experts add that protecting mangroves alone will not be enough to\nsolve Mumbai\u2019s chronic flooding problems. Saving the mangrove forests\nmust be accompanied by the modernisation of the city\u2019s drainage system,\nbetter urban spatial planning, and the implementation of comprehensive\nclimate adaptation measures.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mumbais-mangroves-under-threat-as-coastal-road-project-sparks-environmental-outcry-1785426715", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }