13 May,2026 09:15 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
Environmental activists also raised objections to the Stage-I clearance documents related to the project. Pic/Special Arrangement
A delegation of citizens and community representatives carried out a site inspection at Fisheries Lane in Versova on Wednesday, alleging serious environmental violations linked to the proposed Versova-Bhayandar DP Road project.
The group included members of Save Mumbai Mangroves, along with Rajshree Bhanji, Chairperson of Marol Bazaar Koli Mahila Mase Vikreta Sanstha and local residents.
Three Forest Department officials and representatives of contractor Khushboo Enterprise were also present during the inspection.
According to activists, the visit concluded with the preparation of a formal Punchnama documenting alleged illegal tree felling, destruction of intertidal ecosystems and the absence of mandatory environmental records.
Members of the delegation claimed the inspection revealed dumping of waste in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas and alleged encroachments involving the use of mangrove wood.
"What we saw today is not a linear project, it is an ecological crime scene," a member of the delegation alleged.
The activists further claimed that officials from civic and forest authorities were unable to provide satisfactory records relating to mangrove trees and permissions connected to the project.
Local residents expressed concern over the environmental impact of mangrove destruction in the area.
According to residents, seawater now reaches further inland during high tide due to the loss of mangrove cover, raising fears of severe flooding during the monsoon season.
"Our Versova will be washed away during the monsoons. Is this road worth our lives?" one resident said during the inspection.
Environmental activists also raised objections to the Stage-I clearance documents related to the project.
According to the delegation, the Mangrove Cell estimated the loss of 45,000 to 60,000 mangrove trees across 103 hectares. However, activists alleged that the compensatory afforestation plan appears inconsistent, as it proposes 1,37,025 saplings for a much smaller 31-hectare area.
The group claimed this raises concerns that the original tree count may have been underestimated to avoid stricter environmental scrutiny.
Activists further alleged that no detailed species-wise or age-wise data of the affected mangroves was made available during the inspection.
According to the delegation, officials admitted that the current estimate of 45,675 trees was based primarily on satellite imagery rather than detailed ground surveys.
The citizens' group said it has submitted a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), seeking an immediate halt to tree felling activities linked to the project.
