The secret tale of an extravagant project that has sparked environmental worries may possibly be the money used to democratise areas near the iconic Mumbai Coastal Road project. In addition to the Rs 127.21 billion budget allotted for the development of the Coastal Road, the BMC has set aside extra Rs 8-10 billion to beautify and pedestrianise the area nearby the project. The project's 111 hectares (274 acres) of reclaimed land from the Arabian Sea is larger than the Mahalaxmi racecourse. The road, grade interchanges, bridges, and ramps are constructed on an area around 40 hectares away from it. Almost 70 hectares or the remaining two-thirds, are earmarked for various types of recreational areas. This would contain, among other things, bike lanes, jogging paths, amphitheatres, walkways, a park dedicated to biodiversity, and a butterfly garden. The plan also includes a central public plaza, a tree avenue, and a children's play area. The landscaping is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2025. According to officials, the local authority will likely need another 18 months to complete these landscaping projects. Hence, the road will be finished by May 2024, at which point the agency in charge of landscaping will start working and contractors will have to take down the equipment and temporary structures they had erected on the reclaimed area. We have now hired a reputable international consultant who is developing the landscaping plans. Once it is finished, we will present the plan to the interested parties for comments and objections, after which bids will be released, said Mantayya Swami, the project's head engineer for the coastal road. He said that a time frame of eight months had been allocated for the design's preparation, floating, and tender award. Large open spaces would be added to the city on the landward side, according to EA Padmanabhan, Deputy General Manager, L&T Construction. For the section between Marine Drive and Breach Candy, L&T Construction is the general contractor. Mumbai residents will be asked for ideas about what they would like to see in these reclaimed places. A 60-foot walkway with seating area, similar to what is now at the Marine Drive promenade, will be added to the 70 hectares already present. The planned promenade will go from the tunnel's exit (next to Priyadarshini Park) all the way to the Worli Sea Link. Only a third of the projected promenade is on Marine Drive. It will resemble Marine Drive in appearance and quality but be three times larger, said Padmanabhan.