Why is it Important to Remember Raigad's Pen, the First City under the 'Third Mumbai' Plan Before Development?

Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, who is in Davos, Switzerland, named Pen taluka in Maharashtra’s Raigad district as the first city in the planned ‘Third Mumbai’ region yesterday, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting. The move aims to decongest Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

Marking day two of his visit, the state government announced the ‘Raigad–Pen Growth Centre’. Reportedly, the centre will be developed around 15–20 km from the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport.

Before it becomes a trade centre

Known for its historical significance, Pen has also been dotted with various cultural spots and cultures. Talking to Local Samosa about the development, historian Raamesh Gowri Raghavan could quickly think of one such prominent spot. "It has a beautiful Jewish Synagogue in the market area and a Jewish Cemetery at Antora Phata just outside the town," they recount fondly. 

Located near the Mumbai–Goa highway and along the Bhogwati River, Pen is home to hundreds of workshops (karkhanas) known for producing millions of Ganesh idols annually. Historically, it was also a prosperous port city, with trade links extending as far as Egypt. Reportedly, it served as an important base and trade centre connecting the Deccan region.

A Navi Mumbai–based activist, B N Kumar, says: “For decades, Pen has been known for its natural beauty, expansive green paddy fields, and, above all, its identity as the capital of Ganesh idol-making. This cultural and ecological heritage is deeply intertwined with the town’s social fabric. There is now a genuine concern over whether this identity can survive unchecked, large-scale development.”

According to the 2011 Census, Pen city had a population of around 37,852, while the wider Pen taluka had about 195,454 residents.

Pen has also been historically important for salt cultivation, primarily undertaken by the Aagri and Koli communities living in the area. In addition, it has often served as a base for exploring the Raigad district, which is home to historic forts such as Sudhagad, religious sites including Ashtavinayak temples, and various trekking routes.

Raghavan, however, highlights why Pen has been in the news recently. “A branch railway line runs to the Alibag RCF factory. Residents of Alibag have long demanded that it be converted into a full railway line for public use,” they say.

Pen’s railway line, with a branch to the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) factory at Thal, is a private freight siding and is not open to public passenger trains, although various proposals and discussions have sought to convert it for passenger use to boost local connectivity and development.

While the main Pen–Alibag new line project is already on hold, the town’s inclusion as part of the ‘Third Mumbai’ project has been announced as being modelled on a “BKC-like development”. This has become a point of contention between the public and the government, as it envisages transforming the entire suburb into a corporate infrastructure hub, making it all the more important to understand Pen’s development plans given its historical and cultural significance.

A local resident from a nearby area, speaking on condition of anonymity, says: “Pen has a lot of creeks, even though it is not sea-facing.” They add, “There is a lot of unused farmland and grazing land. I hope development takes place there and does not displace local communities,” before concluding, “Only time will tell whether the region’s flora and fauna are destroyed in the process.”

Citing development in the neighbouring region as a cause for concern, activist Kumar says: “Development in the neighbouring Uran region—through SEZs, ports and oil installations—has inflicted severe ecological damage. Wetlands have been buried, mangroves destroyed, and natural tidal flows disrupted. As a result, villages are now grappling with unseasonal flooding and saline water intrusion into paddy fields. The state has been forced to spend lakhs of rupees from taxpayers’ money on flood compensation—losses that could have been entirely avoided with balanced, ecologically informed planning.”

He further adds: “A clear example is the dilution of the High Tide Line during the preparation of new CRZ maps. Wetlands, fishing zones and mudflats have been systematically obscured, effectively opening ecologically sensitive areas to unchecked concretisation. This approach is not only irrational—it is fundamentally anti-nature.”

What's the plan for reports?

As per the official website of the Mumbai Metro Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), it will cover 1217.71 Acres (493.00 Ha) spread across 5 clusters and 16 villages in Pen Taluka, Raigad District.

While the site is 25 km from Panvel, 30 km from Navi Mumbai's airport, it will also be within easy reach of key ports, with Hamrapur and Pen the nearest railway stations. MMRDA has mentioned that the 15% Built-Up FSI is dedicated to social housing (EWS & LIG).

According to other reports, the project will be India’s first city of its kind to be developed through a public–private partnership (PPP) model, involving the state government, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), and private partners.

Reports state that the new business district will be developed along the lines of Mumbai’s Bandra–Kurla Complex (BKC). The announcement has been followed by the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) worth approximately ₹1 lakh crore. Several global players are reportedly likely to be involved, including South Korea’s Havana Group, Switzerland’s SSB Group, Ansar, US-based FedEx and Tribeca Developers, Finland’s RiverRecycle Group, Dubai’s MGSA Group, Singapore-based Spaces and Mapletree, and IndoSpace Parks, among others.

Based on the proposed investments, the Chief Minister has stated that the project will “help build a world-class city with ‘walk-to-work’ facilities”.

However, historical records remain a key source of concern for local residents and activists. “We are not opposed to development—provided it delivers genuine socio-economic benefits, strengthens local economies, and creates sustainable livelihoods. However, experience shows that such projects often end up displacing original settlers rather than empowering them,” Kumar says, adding: “The gradual marginalisation of Mumbai’s Agri–Koli communities stands as a stark reminder of how development can erase indigenous livelihoods and cultural roots.”

As a way forward, Kumar says the government must take all stakeholders into confidence.