[Jai]

And another welcome development

SLUMBAY WATCH

Plans Are Ready For The Dadar-Mahim Seafront Makeover. But Can They Plug Illegal Drains, Resettle Slums Quickly?

TOI Epaper 30 APR
Clara Lewis | TNN

Faced with a barrage of criticism regarding the poor upkeep of Mumbai’s western waterfront, the civic administration is now planning a beach nourishment plan along 4.5 kms of the Dadar-Prabhadevi seaface. The project, which includes building promenades and restoring gardens along the seaface, is aimed at restoring a beach that has been washed away under waves of sewage, flotsam and debris.

The stretch to be covered is from the Hinduja hospital end at Mahim to Worli village and will take around two years to complete from the day work commences. “We are planning to appoint a consultant to revive this beach which, at present, is bereft of sand,’’ said R A Rajeev, additional municipal commissioner.

The project is estimated to cost around Rs 12-15 crore and will require sand to be imported from other beaches (and even the desert) to make the stretch more hospitable to residents and holidaying crowds.

Work is likely to start in six months to a year, and would be a daunting task considering that it would require diverting sewage lines which spew out waste on to the beach, resettling slum dwellers living nearby, and coordination between agencies because land comes under the collector’s jurisdiction and the revamp is being planned by the civic corporation.

The blueprint is based on an idea put forward by architect P K Das who has also been involved in the beautification and restoration of Carter Road, Bandra Bandstand and Juhu beach. “Das will be appointed as a consultant since he already has a plan ready,’’ said Rajeev.

Of late, BMC has been repeatedly censured by activists and citizen groups regarding the plight of Mumbai’s beaches including those at Versova, Dadar and Marve. Mahim resident Ravi Thatte, who is also on a civic supervisory panel, says, “The beach is polluted by untreated sewage from illegal drains. BMC had appointed a contractor to clean up the beach, but he’s not doing a very good job. There are also two slums in the area. Restoring the beach is a grandiose plan and will take a lot of doing.’’

It was former Lok Sabha speaker and Dadar resident Manohar Joshi who set the ball rolling for the Dadar revival plan after a visit to Bandra where the waterfront had been restored. Joshi proposed that a wall be constructed to prevent the beach from further erosion. Eventually, the idea of a wall was shot down when environmentalists pointed out potentially adverse effects. “Sea-wall construction is now banned in the US as well as central Europe. It is believed that it damages the environment by restricting the natural cycle of in and outflow of water. Also the impact of construction of a sea-wall is felt at other beaches where the displaced water reclaims its space,’’ said Das.

Joshi’s suggestions, however, spurred a group to work on an alternate plan. To start with, a coastal and hydraulic study was carried out by DHI (India) Water and Environment Pvt Ltd at the site. This included drawing up a description of the area’s coastline, an assessment of the wave climate and hydrodynamic conditions in the bay, and compiling recommendations on how to implement the project.

The study found the Dadar-Prabhadevi stretch to be a shallow tidal beach, narrow and sloping. Government’s efforts to protect the coast had resulted in rubble encroaching upon it. Besides drains open onto it and unplanned constructions have contributed to the debris and pollution.






BEACH REVIVAL

Phase I

This includes a proposal to increase the width of the beach from 5 metres to 50 metres across a stretch of 1.5 km from S K Bole Marg to Suryavanshi Kshatriya Sabhagriha Marg.


Phase II

This includes redevelopment of the beach at Hinduja Hospital, Keluskar Marg (North & South), Mayor’s Bungalow, development of two gardens — Baji Prabhu Udyan and Sant Dnyaneshwar Udyan — apart from creation of access roads and promenades

Total cost: Rs 12-15 crore


IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

Beach nourishment by bringing in sand from other places: 9 months Redevelopment of two gardens along the waterfront: 4 months Promenades to be built at two locations: 6 months Extension of drains to divert the sewage: 4 months Building access roads: 6 months

SHIFTING THE SAND

Since the bay at Dadar-Mahim has very little sand, it has been decided to bring it in from outside. “Roughly around 300 trucks per day for 6 months or six barges a day for four months will be sufficient to create the beach. While the sea will continue to wash away sand it will also bring it back and the loss will be minimal,’’ said P K Das, architect in charge of the project. Sand will be brought in from other beaches, and may be even the desert. Some replenishment of sand may also be required every 5-10 years.