Navi Mumbai News: Belapur Residents' Protest Forces CM To Reconsider Kharghar Coastal Road Alignment

Persistent opposition from Belapur residents to the proposed Kharghar Coastal Road (KCR) project by CIDCO has prompted the Chief Minister’s office to take note and direct authorities to reconsider its alignment. 

The contentious project, which plans to connect Jalmarg Sector 16 in Kharghar to Belapur, had drawn criticism for its route through residential zones.

In a recent high-level meeting held last week with the  Forest Minister Ganesh Naik who is also a Navi Mumbai resident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reportedly reviewed civic concerns related to the project.

The review came after several months of protests and representations by residents made through local corporator and even the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) opposing the project. “recognizing the widespread public dissatisfaction the Chief Minister has instructed officials to evaluate two alternative solutions which includes utilizing the sea route from Kharghar Sector 16 to Nerul Jetty, with a connection to Sector 11 Belapur leading to the airport, or considering the construction of a double-decker road at Sector 15, Belapur,” said former NMMC corporator Netra Shirke, a vocal critic of the project.

Following the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) last year, CIDCO had begun the design and construction process for the 15-kilometer road. The first 3.68 km of the road stretching from Palm Beach Road to Sector 17 of the project is already completed.

The corportor has raised the issue repeatedly with CIDCO, NMMC, and even with the state government. “The road map of the project is such that the road runs through areas already developed by NMMC under the one time development plan and it includes amenities used by residents that includes joggers track, garden and open gym,” she said. “These are under NMMC jurisdiction and therefore civic body’s permission is needed which CIDCO has not acquired”

Shirke in the month of March had written to the NMMC Commissioner and in her letter included a list of affected sectors—11, 15, Killa Gaothan and NRI Complex and DPS school which is an sensitive zone frequented by Flamingos.

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NMMC, in its independent assessment and official correspondence made to CIDO on June 2 has flagged environmental concerns and possible disruption to community life. As per their review, CIDCO’s proposed 1.57 km extension runs through the heart of Sector 11, a residential zone with 13 housing societies, 9 schools, a hospital, a public library, and essential community facilities. CIDCO has been asked to look out for alternative routes.

Terming the alignment disruptive and environmentally unsound, both civic authorities and citizens have demanded re-evaluation. In response, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik urged the Chief Minister to consider alternatives. “The intervention offers hope for residents concerned about the road’s impact on their quality of life and the ecological balance of the area,” said a resident. Repeated attempts to get in touch with teh CIDCO MD Vijay Singhal went unanswered.