How do we coast along?

It had been over halfanhour since Lady Flora had parked herself at their favourite bench inside Horniman Circle Garden as she waited for her friend Sir PM It was unlike him to keep her waiting The sultry weather didnrsquot help calm her patience levels lsquoI hope he isnrsquot in some kind of messrsquo she wonderedMess was an understatement Sir PM was stuck in a massive jam on his way back to SoBo after visiting a cousin in Worli By the time he reached he was almost out of breath ldquoI amhellipI amhellipsooo sorry Lady The traffic it washelliprdquo His friend was barely able to decipher the words that came out of his mouth All her wrath had disappeared ldquoItrsquos okay Pheroze Here sip on some homemade lemonaderdquo she tried to calm her friend downA gentle breeze helped relax Sir PM a bit ldquoSo tell me Pherozehellipwhat caused your delay Why are you looking so upset I hope you werenrsquot chased by hoodlums or had to escape from a riotrdquo Lady Flora enquired ldquoOh no no my Lady Thankfully it was none of that I had never imagined that our dear city by the sea the sevenisland dream would be under threat I had ventured to Worli after what seemed like ages and what do I see Boulders and barricades that touched the sky and that carried the words lsquoInconvenience is regrettedrsquo What does that mean Are we supposed to sit back and allow those stunning panoramic views of our coast to be blocked out as this prized project alters our coastline foreverrdquo sighed Sir PMldquoBut tell me something Pheroze isnrsquot this because of that Coastal Road Project My sources tell me this will take a whilerdquo she asked her friend ldquoOf course it is because of that mega plan But look at what cost it is metamorphosing our shoresrdquo he thundered ldquoSurely my current bosses and their bosses wouldrsquove thought this out I mean there is merit to their argument ndash to decongest the city but at what cost I had to negotiate miles of traffic on foot simply because of the obstruction caused by this work and as I looked around all I could see were miles and miles of barriers It wasnrsquot a pleasant sight because the great Arabian Sea that remains the pride of our city a sight that brings its residents so much joy and respite from their coopedup lives inside matchbox apartments is no longer in view We might be termed a seafacing city but we are certainly not going to see it for a long while I saw the transformation everywhere ndash from Marine Drive all the way to cousin Zubinrsquos home at Worli Sea FacerdquoSir PMrsquos friend was listening intently to her friend She also realised that the pandemic had kept her confined to a tiny radius as a result of which she missed out on developments like this ldquoSo Pheroze what does this mean for Bombaywallahs Are they destined to never be able to see the sea again or at least for a long while until this grandiose project is completedrdquo Sir PM took a long pause and then said ldquoWell that seems to be the case A lot is at stake Residentsrsquo groups from Marine Drive to Bandra have been crying hoarse over the compromises that have happened due to the work that will forever transform the topography along the western seafront of the city While the lsquoworldclassrsquo plan is supposed to ease Bombayrsquos traffic woes I am beginning to wonder at what cost Just the other Dr Viegas was upset after he had a long chat with his oldtime Koli fisherman friend Their livelihood and their original homes ndash the koliwadas ndash are under huge threat as construction activity obstructs their boats and also the ecosystem that they depend on Marine wildlife experts are also concerned by the acute effect on the marine flora and faunardquoLady Flora recalled a chat she had overheard from her vantage point A wellinformed tourist was telling his companion that according to a global report landmarks like Haji Ali and parts of Marine Drive could go underwater by 2050 due to effects of climate change ldquoImagine we are already staring at a grim scenario due to our proximity to the sea and whatever yoursquove told me so far doesnrsquot add up to a pleasant scenariordquo rued Lady FloraldquoBombay seems to be in nomanrsquos land Will we ever live to see the day when this project is fructified And even so what will be left of the original city How much of this reclamation will affect its very existencerdquo wondered Sir PM to which his friend signed off with a warning ldquoLetrsquos hope the sea continues to be patient with its beloved muse Bombay Else wersquoll be in big troublerdquomiddayrsquos Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the cityrsquos sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes her She tweets bombayanaSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycom