Sea erosion threatens to wash away Mahim coastline

The Mahim coastline is fast disappearing, claim fishermen residing by the seafront. On Monday afternoon, sea water came gushing in and claimed portions of the land.

Chandrakant Keni, chairman, Mahim Nakva Macchimaar Sahakari Society, a representative outfit for the local fishermen, said that a makeshift asphalt road constructed to ease entry of boats into the sea was completely washed away. “Houses of a few fishermen suffered damages too,” he said.

The incident occurred around the time when a high tide of 4.21m was reported.

Interestingly, Dinkar Tandel, chairman, Mahikavati Mahim Fishermen’s Sarvodaya Cooperative Society, asserted that this was the farthest the sea water had ever reached. “Even on days when the high tides have been above the 4.5m mark, it has not progressed this far,” he said.

Santosh Nijab, another local, claimed that nearly 150 boats had to be shifted to protect them from damage.

Keni blamed the erosion of the coastline on desilting work carried out by the MMRDA at the Mithi mouth in Mahim. The Mithi river, which originates from the CST bridge in Kurla, meets the sea at Mahim bay. “The mouth of the river near the sea should not have been touched,” he said.

Letters have been shot off to municipal authorities, the MMRDA, the maritime board, and senior politicians, urging them to erect a bund. “Such bunds have already been erected for other residential belts along the coastline,” Tandel claimed.

SR Nandargirkar, chief engineer, MMRDA, said he was not aware of the incident. “I can only comment after checking the details,” he said.