AFTER THE Shiv Sena, the BJP has now rallied behind fishermen opposing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s ambitious coastal road project. BJP MLC Ramesh Patil, who is also president of the Koli Mahasangh, on Monday announced his support for the Worli fishermen’s demands. Advertising Patil addressed a meeting of Koli community members at Worli Koliwada and promised to raise their issues with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “Within two days I will meet him along with representatives of the Worli Koli community. The CM trusts me and I’m sure the problems of the original sons of the soil of Mumbai, the Kolis, will be resolved. Issues such as widening the gap between two pillars, reclamation from Worli Seaface to Priyadarshani Park, day to day removal of silt from the construction site will be raised at the meeting. There was a promise from the Shiv Sena-led BMC that they will resolve fishermen’s concerns but it has been over two months and nothing has progressed,” said Patil at the meeting. He said, “If our community’s problems are not resolved then I will gather Kolis from across the state and lead a morcha to Mantralaya. The BMC’s decision will destroy the livelihoods of local fishermen who are already facing consequences of the Bandra-Worli Sealink project.” The Worli fishermen are demanding that the gap between two pillars of the coastal road be increased to a minimum 200 metres against the BMC’s proposed 60 metre. They have also demanded that the reclamation at Priyadarshani Park be stopped as it will destroy an important fish breeding spot. Taking a jibe at the Sena, Patil said, “Those who got votes from the Koli community and were elected as corporator, MLA and MP should think about them.” Earlier, Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Shinde and Deputy Mayor Hemangi Worlikar had supported the fishermen. Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar had visited the area and had directed the BMC administration to look into their demands. Worli Koliwada Nakhawa Society president Harishchandra Nakhawa told The Indian Express the reclamation work was going on in full swing near Worli Dairy. “Despite a promise from authorities, no concrete steps have been taken to resolve our issues. No committee of officials has been formed to discuss our demands. The NOC given for coastal road in the name of the fishermen community is bogus. On January 4, we have already written a letter to the fisheries department to cancel the NOC for the project.” According to civic officials, however, the work of reclamation is on near Worli Dairy and Priyadarshani Park but fishermen are not allowing them to carry out a geo-technical survey to locate the exact positions of the proposed piers. Advertising Last month, the BMC has started work on the Rs 12,000 crore first phase of the coastal road from Princess Street, Marine Drive, to the Worli end of the Bandra-Worli Sealink.

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