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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) to dismantle the promenade built along Aksa beach in Malad West, citing violation of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms. The structure, built in 2023 at a cost of INR 11.83 crore, was constructed despite earlier rejections and conditional approvals by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA). Activists flagged that the walkway was obstructing tidal flows and natural sediment deposits, causing erosion and damage to the beach.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) to demolish the promenade constructed along Aksa beach in Malad West within two months. The order was issued after the tribunal found that the construction had been carried out in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms without proper permission. Advertisement
The case arose after Mumbai-based activists Banda Kumar and Zoru Bathena filed a petition, saying the promenade cuts through the middle of the beach and could disrupt the natural sand deposition process. They warned that such a structure could lead to erosion on the landward side. The tribunal noted that a portion of the promenade had already collapsed last year due to tidal flows, and further damage had been reported this year.
The MMB had first put forward a plan in 2017 to develop and beautify the Aksa seafront. However, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) rejected the proposal, saying the site fell within the CRZ area where construction is restricted. In 2018, the board revised its proposal and sought approval for building an anti-erosion bund. The MCZMA gave clearance in 2019 but specifically advised against using concrete structures on the beach, citing risks of erosion and the 2011 CRZ notification.
Despite these conditions, in 2023, the MMB went ahead with constructing a 600-metre-long uncoursed rubble (UCR) wall along with a four-metre-wide cobblestone pathway. The project was completed at a reported cost of INR 11.83 crore. Environmentalists said the structure was built in the intertidal zone , the space between high tide and low tide which is classified as ecologically sensitive.
The tribunal observed that the MMB had gone beyond the limits of the approval granted in 2019 and held that the work amounted to a clear breach of CRZ conditions. It has now instructed the authorities to dismantle the structure within two months.
With its latest directive, the NGT has once again reinforced that coastal regulation norms cannot be bypassed in the name of development, and that long-term ecological balance must take precedence over short-term beautification projects.
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