MUMBAI, Feb. 23 -- Municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani assured citizens on Sunday that the Coastal Road gardens will be completed within three years. The assurance came after nonagenarian and prominent citizen B A Desai raised concerns about timelines, citing the civic body's reputation for delays. Responding to the query, Gagrani said that while Mumbai would witness visible transformation over the next two years, the Coastal Road gardens specifically would be delivered within three years. The announcement was made at a citizen dialogue held at Priyadarshini Park and organised by the Susieben Shah Initiative and the South Mumbai Residents' Association. The event brought together more than 350 residents from across South Mumbai, from Worli to Colaba. Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora was also present. The project, envisioned by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, was described as a major step towards creating greener and more sustainable public infrastructure. Addressing residents, Gagrani said Mumbai was undergoing an "unprecedented transformation" that extended beyond private redevelopment to public infrastructure. "This transformation is inevitable. The challenge before all of us is to make it organised, citizen-friendly and sustainable," he said, adding that the Coastal Road project had been under discussion for several years. He noted that the project began in 2018 and overcame multiple hurdles before completion. "It is a mobility project. Having said that, the value addition with the project will now begin henceforth," he said. Responding to concerns about gardens being developed on reclaimed land, Gagrani said reclamation has long been part of Mumbai's history. "Nearly 50% of south Mumbai and 20% of the suburbs stand on reclaimed land. Reclamation began as early as 1720. While it has addressed connectivity challenges, any land not used for transport must be optimally utilised for public purposes," he said. He emphasised that there would be no commercial exploitation of the reclaimed land. Explaining the selection of RIL, Gagrani said the BMC had invited expressions of interest from corporates, NGOs and trusts willing to fund the gardens through CSR. Five entities responded, but the civic body insisted that a single organisation take responsibility for the entire stretch from Priyadarshini Park to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. "Reliance was the only company to opt for the entire patch and to commit to maintaining it for 30 years," Gagrani said....