South Mumbai residents oppose hoardings on coastal road, MCZMA defers its plans
The MCZMA is a body that clears projects in coastal areas of the state that are governed by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) of the Environment Protection Act.
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After facing severe opposition from South Mumbai residents to install hoardings near the coastal road, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) committee has deferred its plans on account of non-compliance of documents in a recently held meeting. The MCZMA is a body that clears projects in coastal areas of the state that are governed by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) of the Environment Protection Act. The four hoardings, with a display on both sides, were to come up at Tata Garden in Breach Candy and Lala Lajpat Rai Park near Haji Ali.
Breach Candy Residents Forum had also initiated a protest against the plan to install hoardings alongside the coastal road, collecting over 5,000 signatures via online protest petitions.
Padmakar Nandekar, former secretary general and member of Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA) said, “We strongly opposed BMC’s plan to install hoardings alongside the coastal roads. It is in violation of CRZ norms and it is risky to put up such hoardings. Moreover, the existing hoardings in the city is already a nuisance, this will further add to our woes.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray had also protested the plans of BMC to install hoardings alongside the coastal road. state government. According to the minutes of the meeting, the BMC said that several local governments and state and central government agencies had utilised their open space to generate revenue by leasing it to agencies to display advertisements.
The tender was called for after the approval of the then municipal commissioner I S Chahal on April 21, 2023. Bizlist Advertising LLP was given the contract for the Tata Garden hoarding.
According to the minutes, the MCZMA noted that the Coastal Regulation Zone map in a 1:4000 scale with superimposition of the project site and a report prepared by the ministry of environment and forests and climate change as per the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan, 2019, had not been submitted by the BMC. Hence it was deferred. The hoardings at Lala Lajpat Rai Park were also rejected on the same grounds.
As per a CRZ notification and a Supreme Court order, reclaimed lands cannot be commercialised. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation had similar plans to have hoardings at Bandra Promenade was also stopped.
