Residents of Nepean Sea Road have demanded that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) provide direct access to the soon-to-be-opened Coastal Road promenade for all residents living along their area as well as Walkeshwar and Malabar Hill.
The residents have pointed out that, at present, the closest entry point to the promenade and its proposed green spaces is at Breach Candy, approximately two kilometres away from the area. Residents have also stated that a narrow path already exists from their area towards the Coastal Road, on government-owned land, and it was used as a service road during the Coastal Road’s construction.
Mukul Mehra, secretary, Nepean Sea Road Citizens’ Forum (NSRCF), said, “The access road from Breach Candy is an impractical detour for residents of this area. Since the plan to construct a car parking facility at Breach Candy has been halted by the BMC, even if we were to drive to Breach Candy to access the Coastal Road promenade, where would we park our vehicles? There is already an existing narrow lane on government-owned land that can be made an access point for us, but it has been walled off on one side, and the gate on the other side is locked.”
Residents’ letter
In a letter written to Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Maharashtra minister for skill development and entrepreneurship and the MLA representing the Malabar Hill constituency, on June 25, the NSRCF said, “Spread over 17 hectares of reclaimed waterfront, this landmark public space promises much-needed recreational areas for Mumbai`s residents. Yet, owing to a planning omission, our locality has no designated pedestrian access, effectively denying us the use of this new open space.”
Residents also met with civic officials and Lodha last week to press their demand, stating that enabling access from this area will ensure maximum utilisation of the southernmost stretch of the Coastal Road promenade. The Nepean Sea Road residents have also pointed out that a “simple connectivity fix” will ensure “equitable access for tens of thousands of local residents of this area”.
A senior BMC official told mid-day on Friday, “The MSRDC [Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation] had earlier declined BMC’s request to hand over the land for public access. After the residents met the minister, the BMC has decided to speak to MSRDC again and ensure that there is a solution to the problem. This decision to approach them again was taken last week.”
