Mumbai: The Gorai beach is slowly being eroded of its sand due to the construction of a new jetty which is at least 400 metres away from its original site, near the old jetty, said locals and environmental activists. Also, the new jetty is not being erected on stilts, as was earlier assured, they said, adding, sea water currents bringing in the coastal sand therefore are being partially blocked, leading to sand erosion.Locals and green activists have demanded immediate demolition of this upcoming jetty “in order to save the beach”.
Environmentalist D Stalin of Vanashakti, who is also a member of the Bombay high court-appointed wetlands protection panel, said, “It is shocking to see how this new unwanted jetty at Gorai is stripping away its sand. This natural heritage beach will be fully destroyed if the jetty is not removed. I have already complained to various state authorities, based on our observations and the feedback from local residents.“Stalin added that while this new jetty has sprung up by actually reclaiming a part of the coastline, the original plan, as per the minutes of Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), was to have the jetty on stilts, so that it does not interfere with the tidal currents at the beach, and to have it next to the old jetty which is about 400 metres away.“Since there are multiple violations while building this new jetty, the beach is suffering damages with each passing day. We may be forced to move court if no action is taken on our complaint,” said Stalin. Besides exposing the rocky surface at the beach, a lot of silt has started accumulating and soon there will be a huge layer of muck on this area, said activists.Old satellite images of the Gorai coast are also being filed, in order to compare it to the present-day situation.The govt officials from the environment department and also MCZMA have not yet reacted to the complaint of green activists, said Stalin.
