Mumbai: An online petition demanding establishment of a coastal forest along undeveloped stretches of the city’s coastal road — from Nepean Sea Road to Worli has garnered nearly 30,000 signatures.
Many residents have expressed that, anchored in the Mumbai Climate Action Plan, which warns of rising temperatures, sea levels, and extreme weather, the forest is envisioned as a natural climate buffer. It will reduce heat and improve air quality, absorb excess rain and cut flood risk, and offer accessible, biodiverse green space that boosts public well-being.

The petition, initiated in Feb this year by a group ‘Save Our Coast Mumbai‘, is addressed to PM Narendra Modi, CM Devendra Fadnavis, deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani. It calls for transforming reclaimed land into a dense, native forest to tackle air pollution, improve green cover, and protect the coast from flooding and erosion.
“If you’ve ever complained about Mumbai’s terrible air pollution, this is your chance to take action. Now we have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change this with a proven solution: create a coastal forest that will clean our air and protect our city. The filthy air we breathe is making us sick. Breathing the air in Mumbai every day is equivalent to smoking three cigarettes daily. We deserve better, and the people are demanding it,” it states. The group shared a visual plan for the proposed forest.
Citizens said unlike manicured gardens and paved parks, which are costly to maintain, a native forest grows richer and more self-sustaining over time.
Mamta Dalal Mangaldas, core team, Mumbai Coastal Forest, said that the petition has attracted responses from across the city: “…this open space is public space, and therefore the larger public sentiment on what they want in it should be incorporated.”
Mumbai: An online petition demanding establishment of a coastal forest along undeveloped stretches of the city’s coastal road — from Nepean Sea Road to Worli has garnered nearly 30,000 signatures.
Many residents have expressed that, anchored in the Mumbai Climate Action Plan, which warns of rising temperatures, sea levels, and extreme weather, the forest is envisioned as a natural climate buffer. It will reduce heat and improve air quality, absorb excess rain and cut flood risk, and offer accessible, biodiverse green space that boosts public well-being.
The petition, initiated in Feb this year by a group ‘Save Our Coast Mumbai’, is addressed to PM Narendra Modi, CM Devendra Fadnavis, deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani. It calls for transforming reclaimed land into a dense, native forest to tackle air pollution, improve green cover, and protect the coast from flooding and erosion.
“If you’ve ever complained about Mumbai’s terrible air pollution, this is your chance to take action. Now we have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change this with a proven solution: create a coastal forest that will clean our air and protect our city. The filthy air we breathe is making us sick. Breathing the air in Mumbai every day is equivalent to smoking three cigarettes daily. We deserve better, and the people are demanding it,” it states. The group shared a visual plan for the proposed forest.
Citizens said unlike manicured gardens and paved parks, which are costly to maintain, a native forest grows richer and more self-sustaining over time.
Mamta Dalal Mangaldas, core team, Mumbai Coastal Forest, said that the petition has attracted responses from across the city: “…this open space is public space, and therefore the larger public sentiment on what they want in it should be incorporated.”