In a significant development for Mumbai's infrastructure, the Bombay High Court has granted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) the crucial permission to proceed with a key phase of the ambitious Mumbai Coastal Road project. The court's order, passed on December 12, 2025, allows the civic body to fell and transplant up to 45,000 mangrove trees to make way for the northern extension of this mega corridor.
Court's Nod and Environmental Safeguards
While granting the permission, the High Court attached a vital long-term condition for environmental accountability. The bench decided to keep the plea pending for a period of 10 years. This unique directive mandates the BMC to submit an annual update to the court on the progress of its compensatory plantation efforts. This move is seen as a judicial measure to ensure the civic body remains committed to its ecological mitigation promises over the next decade.
The project in question is the Rs 20,000-crore Mumbai Coastal Road, which aims to drastically improve north-south connectivity. The new stretch plans to connect Versova in the western suburbs to Bhayander in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), extending the existing 10-km coastal road between Marine Drive and Worli. The BMC has set an ambitious deadline of 2028 for the completion of this complex network of tunnels, bridges, and elevated corridors.
The Path Forward: From Court Order to Groundbreaking
With the High Court's hurdle cleared, the BMC's immediate next step is to secure a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the state forest department. A senior project official revealed that this final work permission was contingent on the court's go-ahead. The civic body expects to receive the NOC within December 2025, paving the way for physical work to commence by the end of December or the first week of January 2026.
The initial phase of civil works will involve meticulous planning on the ground. Authorities will first identify all major sites for excavation and pillar erection for bridges. Simultaneously, the alignment of roads and land parcels will be finalized, accounting for utility lines running above and below. To prevent public disruption, essential utility lines like electricity cables and gas supply pipes will be carefully relocated to alternate paths before major construction begins.
The project site will be strategically divided into two operational zones:
- Primary Construction Zone: This area will see the core construction activities, including the digging of tunnels and the erection of pillars.
- Influence Zone Area (IZA): This will host temporary support structures and facilities required during the project's lifespan.
Balancing Development with Ecology: The Afforestation Plan
The scale of environmental impact is substantial. The coastal road project will affect approximately 102 hectares of vital mangrove land. From over 60,000 mangroves in the area, around 45,000 will be impacted. The plan involves completely cutting 9,000 trees, while the remaining are slated for transplantation.
Recognizing the critical role of mangroves as natural buffers against coastal erosion, tidal floods, and storm surges for a city like Mumbai, the BMC has outlined a detailed compensatory afforestation strategy. The civic body has leased a 15-acre plot in Borivali to develop a dedicated mangrove nursery, established in July 2025. The saplings grown here will mature over several years and be used for future transplantation.
For large-scale plantation, the BMC has acquired a 100-acre land parcel in Chandrapur, Maharashtra. Furthermore, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest has identified an additional 84-hectare land in Palghar, Dahanu, and Boisar regions. Authorities claim that a total of 1.3 lakh mangrove saplings will be planted across these designated sites over the next ten years, aiming to not just compensate but potentially enhance the city's green buffer.
This court-monitored approach marks a critical juncture for Mumbai's infrastructure development, attempting to strike a delicate balance between urban mobility needs and the imperative of protecting its fragile coastal ecosystem.
