Scuffle breaks at Cuffe Parade meet over sea wall project

A scuffle broke out between members of the Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA) and residents of Machchimaar Nagar at Bayview Marina Garden in Cuffe Parade on Sunday during a meeting called to protest stone dumping for a proposed sea protection wall near Shiv Shastri Machchimaar Nagar.

TheMaharashtra Maritime Board (MMB)had approved the sea protection wall in 2025 to prevent coastal erosion along the stretch.

Officials said the project was initiated following requests from local political representatives after repeated tidal surges damaged the shoreline.

However, residents of Cuffe Parade, including members of the CPRA, have opposed the work, alleging that dumping stones into the sea could encourage encroachments and expansion of informal settlements.

The CPRA had written earlier this month to the MMB, theMumbaiMetropolitan Region Development Authority and the Mumbai City district collector seeking an immediate halt to the work and called for a gathering at Bayview Marina Garden on Sunday, which coincided with the association’s 50th anniversary.

According to residents, around 150 people from Machchimaar Nagar also arrived at the venue.

An argument soon broke out between the two groups, leading to a verbal altercation and a brief scuffle, following which police were deployed at the spot.

Dr Padmakar Nandekar, vice president of CPRA, alleged that residents from Machchimaar Nagar disrupted the gathering.

“Our only demand is that public coastal land should not be converted into encroachments through illegal reclamation,” he said.

Machchimaar Nagar residents denied the allegations and said they had come to present their concerns.“During high tide, seawater causes severe damage to homes.

We had demanded a pathway with an open air gym and walking space along with the protection wall.

We are also against encroachments as they directly affect our livelihood,” said Sagar Dabri, chairperson of Nagar 4.

Meanwhile, Colaba MLA and Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar had earlier directed officials to construct the protection wall at an appropriate gradient and install barricades to prevent unauthorised construction.