The Maharashtra government’s proposed Bhayander-Versova coastal road, which could require the removal of nearly 45,000 mangroves, has sparked protests across Mumbai’s western suburbs, with critics warning of long-term ecological and flood risks.
Mumbai has lost a significant portion of its mangrove cover over the past decades due to urbanisation and infrastructure expansion, leaving remaining forests fragmented and vulnerable despite legal protections and past court interventions.
Activists and experts argue that mangroves function as vital natural infrastructure, absorbing floodwaters, stabilising coastlines and storing carbon, and that their removal, amid rising sea levels and extreme monsoons, could expose tens of thousands of residents to heightened climate risks.
Development At What Cost? Mumbai’s Mangroves In The Crosshairs
Mumbai has already witnessed a significant decline in mangrove cover over the past few decades due to rapid urbanisation, infrastructure projects and illegal dumping and the proposed felling of 45,000 mangroves along the Bhayander–Versova line now raises renewed concerns.
On Mumbai’s western edge, where tangled mangrove roots hold the sea at bay and monsoon tides breathe in and out of the creeks, a fresh battle over the city’s future is unfolding. The Maharashtra government’s proposal to clear nearly 45,000 mangroves for the Bhayander–Versova coastal road has ignited protests across neighbourhoods, with environmentalists, planners and residents warning that the cost of faster roads could be paid in flooding, erosion and irreversible ecological loss.
Envisioned as the second phase of Mumbai’s ambitious coastal road network, the project would trace the shoreline from Bhayander in the north to Versova, slicing through intertidal zones and mangrove belts that have quietly shielded the city for decades. The road would act as a northern extension of the existing Coastal Road, designed to decongest the Western Express Highway. The BMC has argued that the project is essential for public utility, saving fuel and cutting carbon emissions by 55 per cent.
However, activists argue that these forests, spread across creeks and coastal stretches in the suburbs, are being treated as expendable even as climate risks continue to mount.
Mumbai’s Shrinking Mangroves
Mangroves are not merely passive greenery but living infrastructure, absorbing excess rainwater, stabilising shorelines and blunting the impact of storm surges during increasingly volatile monsoons.
Mumbai has already witnessed a significant decline in mangrove cover over the past few decades due to rapid urbanisation, infrastructure projects and illegal dumping. Official records submitted to courts, along with other reports, indicate that while Maharashtra has the largest mangrove cover in India, Mumbai’s share has shrunk sharply since the 1990s. Conservationists estimate that the city lost over 40 per cent of its mangroves between the 1970s and early 2000s, particularly along the Mithi River, Mahim Creek, Malad Creek and Thane Creek.
Although stricter protections imposed by the Bombay High Court in the mid-2000s slowed the rate of destruction, activists argue that recent infrastructure projects — including metro lines, road widening and coastal developments — have once again placed mangroves under pressure. Data from the Mangrove Cell of the Maharashtra Forest Department shows that Mumbai and its metropolitan region still host thousands of hectares of mangroves, but many of these forests are fragmented and vulnerable.
Urban infrastructure expert Hussain Indorewala noted: “No one needs reminding of the ecological value of mangroves, least of all the Bombay High Court. The same court that, on December 12, granted the BMC permission to fell mangroves has, over the years, emerged as one of their most forceful defenders. In a landmark 2018 ruling, it categorically held that the ‘destruction of mangroves’ amounts to a ‘violation of fundamental rights’.”
Environmental groups say that compensatory afforestation, often cited by authorities, cannot replicate the ecological functions of mature mangrove ecosystems. Residents of coastal suburbs have also joined demonstrations, arguing that the project prioritises vehicular traffic over long-term environmental security. Many point to lessons from the devastating 2005 floods, when the destruction of mangroves and the narrowing of natural waterways significantly worsened the disaster. Natasha Pereira, an environmental campaigner involved in organising the protests, said efforts were under way to help citizens understand how the coastal road could affect their daily lives and long-term safety. Volunteers have been distributing informational material and holding local meetings to explain legal rights and environmental implications, she said on X.
According to Pereira, large stretches of mangroves between Charkop and Dahisar are likely to be cleared if the project goes ahead as planned. She emphasised that mangroves serve as critical natural infrastructure for coastal cities, functioning as flood barriers, improving air quality by trapping particulate matter, stabilising shorelines and absorbing significantly higher amounts of carbon dioxide than terrestrial forests.
“These ecosystems are not just trees; they are our first line of defence against climate impacts,” she said. Pereira warned that even small annual increases in sea level, when combined with the loss of mangroves, could dramatically raise the risk of flooding in densely populated neighbourhoods. “Removing these buffers exposes tens of thousands of people to storm surges and high tides,” she said, adding that the consequences would be felt most acutely during extreme monsoon events.