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The Mumbai Port Authority recently launched a long-term lease offering for 28 non-residential plots spanning more than 217 acres along Mumbai's eastern coast and Alibaug. Aiming to generate upwards of INR 800 crore per year, this move shifts focus from an earlier vision of a public waterfront development. Key parcels include areas near the cruise terminal, former HPCL and FCI sites, Sewri Timber Pond, and plots by the Trans Harbour Link. While the authority tests market interest, urban planners and activists warn that the opportunity for a vibrant, publicly accessible waterfront may be slipping away indefinitely.
Recently in Mumbai's waterfront development strategy: the Mumbai Port Authority has opened bids for leasing 28 parcels of coastal land spread across over 217 acres in Mumbai's eastern belt and parts of Alibaug for three decades, targeting an annual income exceeding INR 800 crore. The focus is strictly on commercial and industrial use, eliminating any residential prospects. Advertisement
These land parcels are among the city's most strategic zones primarily Wadala, Sewri, Reay Road, P'D'Mello Road, Colaba, Fort, Mazgaon, Sassoon Dock, Mallet Bunder, and one site near Thal Beach in Alibaug. Highlighted assets include a 22-hectare stretch at Princess Dock near the cruise terminal, a 29-acre former HPCL site in Wadala, a 10-acre former FCI warehouse plot, the expansive Sewri Timber Pond site, and frontage near the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link.
This leasing initiative appears to sideline an earlier, more ambitious plan that envisioned a world-class eastern waterfront-replete with promenades, parks, marinas, cultural spaces, and public facilities. That vision, crafted around 2018 and led by then-chairperson Sanjay Bhatia, has now been largely shelved.
Officials explain that engaging the market through Expression of Interest helps gauge development interest before moving to formal proposals. But critics argue that parceling and leasing lands piecemeal undermines the potential for comprehensive planning.
From a historical viewpoint, this isn't the first time urban vision has given way to commercial expediency. Several Mumbai precincts suffered ad-hoc development in past decades, and this leasing move may further lock the coastline into pockets of private interest, limiting future public access.
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