After two-year delay, Maharashtra Maritime Board begins work on construction of concrete embankment on 400-metre patch of iconic promenade; embankment will protect the promenade from tidal erosion
When the monsoon clouds begin gathering over the city this year, you can look forward to not just relief from the heat, but also the chance to sit closer to the sea and get a better view of the beautiful sunset from Bandstand.
The project will cost Rs 2 crore and the work is expected to be completed by June
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After a two-year delay, the Maharashtra Maritime Board has finally begun work on the construction of a concrete embankment on a 400-metre patch of the iconic Bandstand promenade.
Portions of the base wall and the promenade itself have eroded. Pics/Satyajit Desai
The embankment will protect the promenade from tidal erosion and allow Mumbaikars to sit closer to the Arabian Sea. The project will cost Rs 2 crore and work is expected to be completed by June.
Third-time lucky
The Bandra promenade, which was built in the year 2000, is a popular hangout for people from across Mumbai. While the northern end of the promenade has boulder protection, the southern end has been vulnerable to wear-and-tear over the years, with topographical restrictions preventing the placement of rocks there.
In 2013, it was proposed that a concrete embankment be provided for this end of the promenade and architect P K Das was roped in to design this new embankment. Once the designs were in place, the Maritime Board invited bids twice, but these had to be rejected on technical grounds.
After the tender was issued for the third time, a contractor was finalised and a bhoomi pujan was held on April 11, which was attended by BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, MLA Ashish Shelar and deputy mayor Alka Kelkar. “The base wall at Bandstand has lost its casing and had, therefore, become exposed to waves.
The embankment will ensure that waves don’t come up to the surface and people can sit there even during high tide. The embankment will be sloping and steps will be etched into it,” said an engineer from the board. The deadline given to the contractor is June 7.
“It’s a relief for us because we had been struggling for the cause for a long time. We had to give a presentation to the Maritime Board before they decided to take up the matter.
An announcement was made a year ago, but work orders were issued only recently,” said Robin Nath, president of the Bandra Bandstand Residents Association. Nath, however, said that he is sceptical about the work getting completed before monsoon.
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