To,

The Institutions and Authorities in Power,

Sea level is rising, but Mumbaikars do not want to drown. This is not a distant theory anymore; it is a matter of our immediate survival.

 

The United Nations report (A/81/74) has published alarming projections, noting that low-lying deltas in South Asia face immediate risks of mass displacement, while the Mumbai Climate Action Plan forecasted that up to 80 percent of Mumbai's island city could be severely impacted by 2050.

What would be the devastating impact of these warnings coming true? First, most Mumbaikars who can afford to will be forced to migrate to other cities, while others will simply be rendered homeless. Property values and financial markets will inevitably crash, as Mumbai, contributing 13-15% of India’s GDP, faces compounding destruction.

This collapse is not going to happen overnight; it is happening slowly and steadily, and you, the people in power, have a duty to save Mumbaikars from drowning.

Yet, despite these dire warnings, precious taxpayer money is not being deployed to safeguard us. Instead, it is being squandered on projects that actively destroy Mumbai’s natural defences and endanger us further:

1. The Coastal Road Project and Multimodal Corridor Project: The aggressive reshaping and reclamation of the western seafront are cumulatively destroying over 2 lakh mangroves. These coastal wetlands are the most powerful frontline buffers available to Mumbai, engineered by nature to protect us from storms and flooding. We do not want to cut down travel time from Nariman Point to Bhayandar if it drowns us.
2. The Manori Desalination Plant: This project is a symptom of an administrative mindset that attempts to solve problems by creating new ones. Mumbai experiences very heavy monsoon rainfall, yet suffers from artificial water shortages because our roads are hyper-concretized, causing rainwater to runoff uselessly into the sea. Constructing an energy-intensive desalination plant that destroys coastal ecology is counterproductive. Nature-based solutions such as rainwater harvesting, aquifer rejuvenation, and transforming Mumbai into a "sponge city" with absorbent soil can solve water shortages while restoring groundwater tables and reducing flooding too. Crucially, these alternatives are more cost-effective, safe and sustainable.
    

It is a shame that that public capital continues to subsidize projects endangering people, rather than investing in proactive climate resilience and disaster preparedness for what is inevitable.

In light of this existential emergency, we urge authorities to take immediate cognizance of these realities and implement the following four non-negotiable demands from the Government of Maharashtra, India and MMR's Municipal Bodies:

1. Immediate Ecological Moratorium: Impose an immediate, temporary halt on all activities destroying vital natural assets; including mangroves, wetlands, creeks, forests, and rivers; across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) until the revised MCAP is officially published. All ongoing and future infrastructure projects must incorporate data from the updated climate assessment, undergo rigorous and transparent Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and proceed only if proven ecologically viable.
2. Enforceable Rules within the MCAP: The updated Mumbai Climate Action Plan and its ongoing risk assessment must transition from non-binding advisory guidelines into legally enforceable frameworks. They must incorporate strict regulatory guardrails and accountability mechanisms that penalize authorities for non-compliance. Ward-level public consultations to be carried out on the draft MCAP before finalisation, and citizen inputs (especially of the indigenous tribal and Koli communities) to be incorporated in the final MCAP.
3. Adoption of Global Policy Benchmarks: Local planning must actively study and adapt proven international models for coastal resilience, specifically:
   a. The Netherlands’ Sea-Level Rise Knowledge Programme for long-term anticipatory spatial planning and risk mitigation.
   Singapore’s Water Management Strategy as a global model for integrating flood control and water security.
   b. Dedicated Resilience Budgetary Allocation: Allocate a minimum of INR 20,000 crores in the upcoming financial year's BMC budget, specifically earmarked to deploy physical, social, technological, and ecological infrastructure to achieve robust coastal climate resilience.
    

Recommended special regulatory safeguards for MMR to include in MCAP:

1. Ramsar designation immediately for Mumbai's remaining unprotected wetlands
2. A ‘Special Climate Vulnerability Buffer’ that mandates a non-negotiable 50m to 100m absolute No-Development Zone (NDZ) around all mangroves, mudflats, and creek edges (blocking the dilution where buffers are bypassed for private or commercial layouts)
3. An "Urban Ecologically Sensitive Area" framework can be legally placed over Mumbai's last remaining green lungs, wetlands, and natural water channels. It would legally ban any project that alters natural topography, blocks river paths (like the Mithi), or destroys native vegetation.
    

The facts are out now, and time is running out. Citizens stand ready to contribute our time, expertise, and vigilance to protect our home, but it is the primary duty of government to preserve human life.

The government, businesses, and civic institutions must act in their utmost capacity today, because saving Mumbai’s mangroves, wetlands, and open spaces is no longer just about protecting the environment; it is about saving Mumbaikars from drowning.

 

Sincerely,

On behalf of all Mumbaikars, and other coastal cities of India

Save Mumbai Mangroves