A section of Dadar beach has effectively turned into a storage site for construction materials over the past three months, raising concerns among residents. In a city already struggling with limited open spaces, citizens say a valuable stretch of the shoreline is being used to stockpile materials for the ongoing concreting work on Pandurang Naik Marg.
According to residents, beachgoers and families are now forced to navigate around iron rods, reinforcing bars, pipes, and even gas welding cylinders scattered across the area. The situation is further aggravated by the presence of heavy vehicles, including buses, parked along the beach, along with intermittent noise disturbances.
Responding to the criticism, Pranay Shetty, GHV India’s site engineer, told Mid-Day, “These are large materials, and they have to be processed on site. We have the permission to operate on Pandurang Naik Marg till May 31, 2027, but we didn’t want to unnecessarily block the ready stretch and cause inconvenience to residents. That’s the reason why we were carrying out this work on the beach. But we have noted the concerns and are shifting from the beach to our designated road.”
Civic officials have acknowledged the issue. Vinayak Vispute, Assistant Commissioner of G North Ward, stated, ‘The improvement of Pandurang Naik Marg is in progress under work code C-320 [and overseen] by the chief engineer of the roads department. The contractor, M/s GHV India, has stacked the material. I have informed the roads department [about the need to take the] necessary action’.
Residents remain dissatisfied. Vaibhav Rege, secretary of Shivaji Park ALM, said, ‘Dadar beach is filled with stalls and horse carts. This particular stretch is always accessible to the public, providing citizens with a space to relax and walk. Restricting that accessibility by dumping construction materials is not acceptable’.
Echoing similar concerns, Rahul Nadkarni noted, ‘The beach is a public space and should not be used for such activities. It’s a nuisance for residents. I think contractors are paid enough to ensure such processes are carried out in a godown. Earlier, the workers used to start sawing at 6 am. Now, this work begins a bit later. I had recently reported this encroachment to the BMC as well through its e-portal’.
Highlighting safety risks, Jitendra Kewal Ramani said, ‘This is a grave concern. I have witnessed people getting hurt here at night due to the iron bars left lying on the beach. Kids play here, and gas cylinders for welding are just left here unsecured. Dadar beach, already such a short stretch, is being obstructed by these materials’.
The contractor has permission to carry out work on Pandurang Naik Marg until May 31, 2027.
Source: Mid-day
