November 21, 2025: Mumbai’s rapid urban expansion has steadily eroded its accessible green spaces, prompting the city to lean on private conglomerates for large-scale environmental projects. The latest addition is the 130-acre Coastal Road Garden, announced by Reliance Industries Ltd. at its August annual general meeting. Nita Ambani described the upcoming garden as a “green lung” for the city, planned on newly reclaimed land, reflecting the family’s growing role in supporting sports, culture, and public infrastructure.
As Mumbai undergoes an infrastructure-heavy transformation—with new metro lines, a coastal highway, and an airport—the availability of open public space has shrunk dramatically. Research published in The Journal of Public Space (2024) revealed the city offers only 1.24 sq. m. of open space per person, compared to 21.5 sq. m. in New Delhi and 17.3 sq. m. in Bengaluru. BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said projects like the Coastal Road Garden and the proposal to open Mahalaxmi Race Course seasonally “should help Mumbai reach closer” to its 2 sq. m. target.
Although Mumbai contains significant green cover, including mangroves and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, much of it remains inaccessible. Reliance’s involvement parallels billionaire Gautam Adani’s redevelopment of Dharavi, a task the government struggled with for decades. “The government, per se, does not have the capacity to solve such an enormous problem,” said Sahil Gandhi of the University of Manchester, supporting private participation if contracts are transparent.
Experts note the BMC’s declining park budgets as it prioritizes roads and drainage. “Parks and gardens are looked at as a luxury,” said Deepti Talpade of WRI India. Architect Hafeez Contractor, who drafted an earlier, more ambitious 1990s plan, added, “Unless and until it’s sponsored or blessed by some great guys, these kinds of things don’t happen.”
Reliance is developing the garden under India’s CSR mandate. While civic officials welcome the move, citizen groups like the Mumbai Coastal Forest (MCF) collective remain cautious. They insist the space must stay fully public, aligning with a 2022 Supreme Court ruling. “For a successful company like Reliance… we hope that also means there will be no commercial exploitation,” said campaigner Mamta Mangaldas.
MCF is advocating for the site to become an urban forest to strengthen climate resilience, arguing, “The problems that a forest can solve for the city are way more than what a garden would be able to.” Further consultations with Reliance are expected, though experts warn that soil studies will determine how dense the vegetation can realistically be on reclaimed land.
Source: Bloomberg
