27 October,2026 08:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
Sludge from a construction site discharged onto Juhu beach and into the sea. Pics/By Special Arrangement
A construction site on Juhu Tara Road has allegedly been discharging muddy water and sludge directly onto Juhu beach and into the sea for several days, raising concerns about marine pollution and potential damage to coastal ecosystems.
Shaunak Modi, marine ecologist, director of the Coastal Conservation Foundation and founder of Marine Life of Mumbai, flagged the issue in a post on X on October 24, warning that the discharge could harm marine organisms and disrupt the coastal ecosystem.
The discharge has eroded over a foot of beach sand, while a large stretch is covered in fine mud. The sediment could settle over seabed organisms and reduce water clarity, adding to the potential ecological impact. The allegations have raised questions about how water and sludge are being handled at the construction site and consequences for Juhu's coastal habitat.
On October 24, the BMC's K-West ward office responded to Modi's post on X, saying the complaint had been registered on the civic body's MARG portal. "We have registered your complaint on the MARG portal of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. For further details regarding the action to be taken, please visit the portal," the response stated. The complaint registration number provided was KW_202600154276.
When Modi visited Juhu beach late on Monday afternoon, he observed water continuing to flow onto the beach, allegedly from the construction site, suggesting that the discharge had not stopped. mid-day contacted the BMC public relations officer on Monday seeking a response to the alleged discharge and the action taken following the complaint. No reply had been received at the time of publication.
Modi said the high sediment load in the discharge could smother benthic organisms - marine creatures that live on or near the seabed - while increasing siltation and turbidity in the water. "This is troubling on its own, but it coincides with the season when cephalopods (squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish) use beaches in Mumbai as nursery grounds for their eggs. The continuous freshwater influx disrupts the salinity balance that intertidal species rely on to survive," Modi said.
Marine life found along sandy shores, including crabs, gastropods and sea anemones, could also be affected by large volumes of freshwater entering their habitat, he said. The discharge of mud could further alter the composition of the shore, threatening organisms living in the intertidal zone.
Mumbai's beaches serve as nursery grounds for cephalopods during this season. Changes in salinity and increased sedimentation could affect species that depend on relatively stable coastal conditions for survival and reproduction.
