August 9,2025: Following the earlier campaign by Breach Candy residents calling for an additional exit on the Mumbai Coastal Road, residents of Napean Sea Road (NSR) and Malabar Hill have now joined the movement. On Wednesday, an NSR resident launched an online petition citing worsening traffic congestion and daily bottlenecks affecting thousands of vehicles.
The petition reads: “Along with fellow residents of Malabar Hill, Walkeshwar, Breach Candy and neighbouring areas, we urge the authorities to urgently reconsider the construction of a dedicated Coastal Road exit at NSR. This is not merely a matter of inconvenience; it is an issue of urban wellbeing, safety and sustainability.”
Within just two hours, the petition attracted nearly 200 signatures. The first petition, initiated last year by the Breach Candy Residents Forum (BCRF), had garnered more than 3,200 signatures. Members of the BCRF have welcomed the NSR residents’ initiative, stating that a united front from South Mumbai’s communities will increase pressure on the authorities to consider the demand.
The land parcel identified for the proposed NSR exit measures approximately 67,000 sq ft and is currently under the jurisdiction of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The MSRDC has so far declined to transfer the land to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
MSRDC Managing Director Anilkumar Gaikwad told the Free Press Journal that, at present, no project has been proposed for the land, which lies in a residential zone and was allotted to the MSRDC for a specific purpose. Local MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha has pursued the matter, concluding that only the Chief Minister can direct the MSRDC to hand over the land to the BMC for an additional exit.
“We are running from pillar to post to secure an appointment with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis,” said Nandini Chabria from the BCRF. Residents argue that without the NSR exit, traffic will worsen significantly once the Coastal Road opens fully, creating severe gridlock in an already congested area.
Source: The Free Press Journal
