Shor Around the Sea: Why Colaba Residents are Continuously Protesting

Colaba has been burning from the heat—not from the seabed, but from an infrastructural plan likely to rise from the sea. At the receiving end of this heat are the residents of Colaba, who have been opposing the move.

Citing tourism development as the reason, the Maharashtra government approved the development of a jetty and passenger terminal near the Radio Club in Colaba back in September 2020. The government stated that the jetty would come up around 200 metres from the Radio Club and feature a walkway with a link-span—a type of drawbridge primarily used to allow vehicles to move on and off a Ro-Ro vessel or ferry—as well as a pontoon and parking facilities.

Fast forward five years, and while work appears to be underway, it has raised serious concerns among locals and residents of Colaba. The Clean Heritage Colaba Residents’ Association (CHCRA) moved the Bombay High Court last week and filed a writ petition against the Mumbai Maritime Board (MMB), the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), the BMC’s Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), the traffic police, and the contractor involved in the construction of the proposed ‘passenger jetty and terminal facilities’ in the sea.

'Hit to the heritage'

The association, which represents nearly 400 residents of Colaba, is opposing the project on the grounds that the site lies within the buffer or vista zone of the Gateway of India — a Grade I listed heritage monument — and the Fort precinct. Speaking to Local Samosa, the president of the association, Subhash Motwani, says, “It is an ill-thought-out plan which will create a gridlock scenario for us.”

For the past few years, the Gateway of India — Mumbai’s most prominent heritage landmark — has not only drawn tourists for sightseeing and photography, but has also served as a venue for cultural shows, ramp walks, marathons, and more. This has raised concerns among locals, who see such events as a threat to the structural integrity and heritage of the monument.

“We have already abused this iconic spot by holding such events in recent times. Now, this project involves the removal of the Gateway promenade, which poses a direct threat to the heritage,” says Mr. Motwani. Reportedly, this is an area where even minor changes to private buildings are strictly prohibited.

With experience of travelling to more than 70 countries and also running a travel company, Mr. Motwani draws a comparison between European countries and Mumbai’s approach to infrastructure development. “This is irresponsible tourism — unlike in those countries, where even hammering a nail into a heritage structure can prompt immediate action by authorities,” he adds.

A condition for a 2x Congestion

As per the plan, the terminal is expected to utilise the area stretching from the P. J. Ramchandani Marg footpath to the sea — approximately 15 acres of sea area, with a jetty extending over half a kilometre into the water. “Not only will it obstruct the view, but it is also likely to worsen sea pollution,” says the association’s president.

Currently, this stretch sees heavy footfall from both tourists and locals heading to the Gateway of India, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, or strolling through the lanes of Colaba Causeway. Locals fear the upcoming project will lead to even greater congestion. “When Causeway first came into operation, there were barely 60 to 70 legal hawkers doing business. Now, there are over 280 hawkers in the area,” he notes, adding that a similar scenario is expected once the new jetty pathway becomes operational.

“The authorities need to recognise that a parallel economy already exists here. With this project, illegal hawkers are likely to occupy this new stretch as well, leading to even more congestion,” Mr. Motwani warns. 

Worries caused over failed initiatives in past

According to him, the residents of Colaba were not included in the discussions — something Mr. Motwani considers essential. Citing past examples of failed initiatives near the Gateway due to a lack of consultation, he says, “We had warned the former Corporator not to build the cycle stands and had also cautioned the Assistant Commissioner (A Ward) of the BMC for the washrooms near the Gateway, as they would be swept away during the monsoon — and they were.”

While Colaba residents continue to highlight the consequences of poor planning in their locality, other areas in Mumbai have faced similar issues. Several poorly executed projects have ended up costing crores to dismantle. Recently, a Rs. 60-crore project was launched to construct cycle lanes in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). However, an additional Rs. 20 crore is now being spent to dismantle them in order to make way for car lanes — an example Mr Motwani cites to show that the entire city is grappling with mismanaged urban planning.

‘Map is unrealistic’

After the BMC shared the development map, it sparked even greater concern among residents. “It looks bigger than the area that it is,” says Mr. Motwani. The map outlines an amphitheatre and a parking facility for around 140 cars. He questions, “There has been no plan for how so many cars will travel down an already-congested lane, and no one knows how much more congestion it will cause.”

Illustrating the scale of the proposed site, he adds that it “might be at least 80% the size of the Oval Maidan”. While the government's stated aim for the project is to boost tourism, the Clean and Heritage Colaba Residents’ Association (CHCRA) has called it “irresponsible tourism”. “Development has to happen responsibly, not recklessly,” Mr. Motwani asserts.

The residents are now awaiting the next hearing, scheduled for 16 June.