India, Jan. 22 -- More than 1,500 citizens have petitioned the chief minister, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other concerned authorities to halt the large-scale destruction of mangroves to make way for the Versova-Dahisar Coastal Road.

While mangroves act as critical buffers against flooding, storm surges and cyclones, particularly for low-lying suburbs in the city's western corridor, the coastal road will effectively erase nearly 75% of the mangrove cover along the ecologically sensitive Manori Creek, the citizens said in a memorandum submitted to the BMC, the chief minister and other authorities on January 20.

The 26.3-km road, which will require axing of 45,675 mangroves out of an estimated 60,000 along the Manori ...