Pipes discharging muddy water onto Juhu beach from Juhu Tara Road construction site removed

Pipes accused of discharging muddy water and construction silt onto Juhu beach from a construction site on Juhu Tara Road have now been removed. The move follows concerns over pollution. Marine ecology expert Shaunak Modi was the first to raise the matter. He revisited the spot on November 2 and confirmed that there were no pipes there any longer.

Modi is a director at the Coastal Conservation Foundation and also the founder of Marine Life of Mumbai. He raised the issue in a post on X on October 24. In the post, he warned that water discharged in this manner could harm marine life and damage the coastal ecosystem.

It is alleged that muddy water and silt were released from the construction site onto the beach and into the sea for several days. This had raised concern over marine pollution and damage to coastal ecology. The flow had eroded more than a foot of beach sand, while a large stretch was covered with a layer of fine mud. The silt could settle over organisms living on the seabed and reduce the clarity of the water, raising fears that the ecological impact would worsen.

On October 24 itself, the BMC's K West ward office responded to Modi's post. The ward office said the complaint had been registered on the civic body's MARG portal. The complaint number given was KW_202600154276.

Modi said, "During a follow-up visit on October 26, I was disappointed that the pipes were still discharging water onto the beach. But I am glad that action has now been taken. Both pipes have been removed, and the spring high tide has also levelled the sand eroded by the flow."

The BMC was contacted to find out whether the civic body took the action or the developer of the construction site removed the pipes itself. No response had been received from the civic body by the time of writing.