The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced that 104 hectares of forest land will be utilised for the construction of the Versova-Bhayandar link road, a key component of the second phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project. According to a public notice issued by the civic body, 103.6554 hectares of forest land are required for the development of the road, relocation of power lines, and other associated infrastructure. The project has already received Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The government has also confirmed that the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, along with the Amendment Rules of 2012, will be implemented in the process. Residents or stakeholders affected by the project have been invited to submit objections under the Forest Rights Act at the relevant ward office by April 21. Assistant Municipal Commissioner of R-Central Ward, Sandhya Nandedkar, noted that approximately 4 hectares of the designated forest area fall within Gorai, Borivali. “We have called for objections under the Forest Rights Act. The road is part of the Coastal Road project and has received all necessary clearances,” she said. However, the decision has sparked criticism from environmental groups. Activist Zoru Bhathena voiced concern over the continued loss of green cover, saying, “The assault on Mumbai’s environment continues unabated. The AQI and rising heat are not accidental — they are a result of deliberate planning under the guise of development.” In a related move, the BMC has also issued a notice to revise land reservations for 60 parcels between Goregaon and Dahisar. This step is crucial for the advancement of the coastal road’s second phase. Estimated at a cost of Rs 206.48 billion, the second phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project is scheduled for completion by 2029. Once finished, it is expected to significantly improve connectivity between Mumbai’s island city, its suburbs, and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region.