Supreme Court Ensures Public Access to Mumbai's Reclaimed Coastal Land

The Supreme Court has ruled that the reclaimed land along Mumbai's Coastal Road (South) should remain open to the public, prohibiting residential or commercial development. The decision came as a PIL challenged the BMC's engagement with private agencies for landscaping and maintenance on this land.

The Supreme Court on Monday declared that the reclaimed land along Mumbai's Coastal Road (South) must remain open to the public. This decision came as part of a PIL challenging the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's plans to engage private agencies for landscaping and maintenance on the land.

The bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar stated that no residential or commercial development should take place on the reclaimed area now or in the future. This ruling reinforces the court's September 2022 order that prohibited such development.

The petition sought to quash any decision appointing Reliance Industries or Reliance Foundation as a volunteer agency for the development and maintenance of the area. The court maintained that public access must be prioritized, except where specific development or maintenance is needed.

(With inputs from agencies.)