Manori residents protest BMC's ₹11,166 crore desalination plant over coastal and fishing concerns

Hundreds of residents from Manori and nearby villages gathered at the Manori ferry jetty on Friday to oppose the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's planned desalination plant at Band Dongar. Protesters expressed concerns about coastal damage and potential harm to the local fishing industry from brine discharge. They also alleged that date palm trees on the hill were recently felled.

The campaign against the facility dates back to 2021-22, when it was proposed to address Mumbai's water shortage. The project faced earlier protests when landfilling material was brought to the site. Community members claim the BMC did not consult locals before finalising the project.

The Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti and Mobai Gaothan Panchayat, representing native inhabitants of Mumbai's former islands, organised the protest. Residents from Uttan, Bhayandar and Vasai also participated, expressing concerns that the plant would destroy marine life and livelihoods of fishing communities along the Manori-Uttan coast.