Open now: Beauty and the beach at Mahim
MUMBAI: With the Mahim beach clean-up and beautification project now complete, Maharashtra Environment and Tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday inaugurated the site, which is now open for tourists.
The beautification project included cleaning of the beach, removing encroachments of parked heavy vehicles and hutments, filling up the beach with up to five feet of sand as which was lost due to soil erosion, planting of trees, setting up pavements, garden furniture, a play area for children, and a 30-metre high viewing tower for tourists, that gives a panoramic view of the Arabian sea and the Bandra Worli sea link.
The project cost Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ₹4 crore and was undertaken at the ward level, by the G-north ward, that has jurisdiction over this area.
Before the BMC undertook the beautification project, the Mahim beach was defaced with piles of garbage, broken retaining walls around the beach, and unauthorised parking of heavy vehicles.
The BMC evicted the hutments, and provided alternate homes to five families. To make up for sand lost due to coastal erosion, the BMC used sand generated from the construction work of the coastal road project, and filled up the beach up to 5 feet. It reinstated the retaining wall, which has now been painted with images depicting the culture of Mumbai. The BMC has also installed a mural, depicting trees in the palm of hands, to convey the message of environment protection and conservation, the civic body said in a statement on Thursday.
As part of the tree plantation drive, 200 saplings of Suru tree which contribute to reducing wind speed have been planted, 300 saplings of bamboo, and 550 other seedlings have been planted.