MCZMA Tells MMRDA to Re-Route Balkum-Anandnagar Coastal Road to Save Mangroves
The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has directed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to rework the alignment of the proposed Balkum-to-Anandnagar coastal road in Thane. The regulatory body cited severe ecological risks, noting that the current route cuts directly through the flamingo sanctuary in Thane creek and threatens 3,754 mangroves spanning 2.72 hectares of forest land.
The directive poses a challenge for the MMRDA, which submitted the proposal for the Elevated Thane Coastal Road (Phase-II) on August 11. The planned route is designed to connect with a six-lane extension of the Eastern Freeway from Ghatkopar to Thane, aiming to allow vehicles heading toward Kalyan, Nashik, and other locations north of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to bypass Thane city.
In its review, the MCZMA suggested that the planning agency explore an alternative alignment that minimizes the impact on the eco-sensitive zone. The coastal authority also instructed the MMRDA to submit a report from the state forest department’s mangrove protection cell, draft plans for compensatory mangrove plantations, and provide a comprehensive assessment of the project's impact on creek ecology and flamingo habitats alongside necessary mitigation measures. Additionally, the MMRDA must submit a report addressing complaints received regarding the project.
Environmentalists have raised objections to the construction. D Stalin of the NGO Vanshakti questioned the necessity of the project, stating that the MMRDA has already built multiple coastal roads in Thane and that previous infrastructure work had already damaged mangroves from Thane to Bhiwandi.
Responding to the directives, an MMRDA official stated that altering the primary alignment would be difficult because the route corresponds with the road notified in the Thane Municipal Corporation Development Plan. The official explained that deviating from the alignment would disrupt key regional master-plan connections, including the proposed Kopri-Patni bridge, the Eastern Freeway Extension at Anand Nagar, and the Eastern Express Highway.
The MMRDA noted that the project has been deferred rather than rejected, pending the submission of the requested information. The agency also maintained that the section passing through the eco-sensitive zone is elevated on piers, with standard spans widened from 30 meters to between 45 and 50 meters to minimize the physical footprint and restrict mangrove disturbance strictly to pier locations.
