BackECONOMY
Livelihood of Mumbai fishers at risk as mangroves make way for road
The article documents how mangrove clearance for the Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road threatens the livelihoods of around 400 fisherfolk across Mumbai's coastal areas. It notes ongoing removal of tens of thousands of mangroves and includes a fisherman's warning that losing mangroves could push him into labour elsewhere.
Why It Matters
Mangroves support coastal livelihoods and ecosystems; their removal for infrastructure could disrupt fishing communities and coastal protection, with broader socio-economic implications for Mumbai.
Timeline
1 Event
Fishermen's livelihood at risk as mangroves are cleared for coastal road
April 21, 2026
At first light, Pujan Bhende, 30, leaves Versova for the Arabian Sea in his blue fishing boat and spends at least nine hours at the edge of vast mangroves, casting his net, checking trapped fish and crabs as the water recedes, and repeating the process. Fishing near mangroves is the sole source of livelihood for about 400 fisherfolk residing in Versova, Charkop, Dahisar, Malvani, and Gorai in Mumbai. Ongoing work to cut 45,675 mangroves across 103.6 hectares of forest land for the 23-km-long Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road project has left them worried. “When these mangroves are gone, I will probably end up working as a labourer,” Bhende says.