Breach Candy Residents Forum Calls Meeting on Coastal Gardens and Traffic

The Breach Candy Residents Forum has organised a community meeting on September 5 at Cymroza Art Gallery in Breach Candy to address concerns regarding the proposed Coastal Gardens project and its impact on local traffic, parking, and pedestrian safety.

The meeting, scheduled for 10 am, calls on residents across the densely populated neighbourhood to gather and discuss the preservation of the area's livability. A central demand from the forum is the provision of an exit at Napean Sea Road, which residents describe as a crucial link to the Mumbai Coastal Road that would relieve mounting pressure on local streets.

Local apprehension heightened following the submission of a revised masterplan for the Mumbai Coastal Gardens by Reliance Industries Ltd to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Residents fear that traffic congestion will multiply after the revised plan indicated three to five entry and exit points along the Breach Candy stretch.

Residents have pointed out that even if these access points are intended for pedestrians, visitors are likely to park vehicles on surrounding roads that already suffer from a lack of parking infrastructure. Traffic has already increased at key intersections, including Mukesh Chowk, since the Coastal Road became operational. Community members contend that if the municipal corporation proceeds with the latest design, an exit at Napean Sea Road is necessary to prevent vehicular gridlock.

Municipal officials have stated that no final decision has been reached regarding an exit road or flyover at Napean Sea Road. Authorities noted that constructing such an exit would intersect with planned landscaping and existing amenities developed along the Coastal Road alignment.

According to the revised masterplan, the Mumbai Coastal Gardens project will span approximately 65 hectares of reclaimed land along the Coastal Road, stretching from Napean Sea Road to Worli. Designed to serve as a major public attraction, the plan includes a 7.6-kilometre end-to-end pathway, 15 city-side entrances, more than 20 sports courts and fields, and 11 ticketed zones ranging from 0.24 acres to 6 acres across six separate zones. The development is slated to be executed under corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Through the upcoming gathering, the Breach Candy Residents Forum aims to present a unified stance to civic authorities before final approvals and construction on the open space project proceed further.