MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has approached the State Coastal Zone Management Authority for Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the proposed Rs 5,140.92-crore Thane Coastal Road Phase II. The statutory approval is required as the 7.13-km project passes through several environmentally sensitive coastal zones, including mangrove areas and the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary. The proposal has been submitted as a fresh CRZ application under the CRZ Notification, 2019. According to documents filed by MMRDA, the road alignment falls within CRZ-IA, CRZ-IB, CRZ-II and CRZ-IVB categories, requiring regulatory scrutiny before construction can begin. The authority has invoked provisions of the notification that permit public infrastructure projects such as coastal roads, subject to environmental safeguards. The application states that the project will affect around 12.72 hectares of mangroves, while nearly 1,733 mangrove trees are proposed to be removed. MMRDA said a forest clearance application is already under process and that a compensatory afforestation plan will be submitted as part of the approval process. The environmental assessment also highlights the project’s proximity to protected ecosystems. Part of the alignment passes through the Eco-Sensitive Zone of the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, with the sanctuary located about 700 metres from the proposed road. The Eco-Sensitive Zone of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park is about 2.6 km away, while the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary lies within an 8-km radius. As part of the clearance process, MMRDA carried out terrestrial and marine Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies between December 2025 and February 2026. The authority has also prepared a disaster management plan and submitted coastal zone maps showing the project’s alignment across the notified CRZ areas. The proposed six-lane freeway will connect Balkum and Kasheli with Anand Nagar in Mulund East and is intended to serve as a bypass for regional traffic passing through Thane. According to the application, the project aims to ease congestion on the Eastern Express Highway and Ghodbunder Road by diverting non-local traffic, thereby reducing travel time, accidents, pollution and vehicle operating costs. The CRZ clearance is one of the key statutory approvals required before the project can move to the construction stage. Once completed, the road will form part of a wider regional transport network linking Thane with Mumbai and the rest of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
