Tue, 20 Oct, 2026, 02:45 am
Reported by Mid-day
Fishermen outside Mumbai’s district collector’s office in Bandra East on Monday, protesting against the proposed water desalination plant in Manori. Pics/Ashish Raje
Hundreds of fishermen from Mumbai's western coast gathered outside the District Collector's office in Bandra East at 12.00 pm on Monday to protest against the proposed desalination plant in Manori. They urged the collector to halt the project, citing concerns over their livelihoods.
Fishermen travelled from Manori, Gorai, Madh, Versova, Colaba, Cuffe Parade , Uttan, Vasai, and Bhayander, among other coastal areas, to join the protest scheduled for 10.00 am. They alleged that buses travelling from Madh were detained by the police, forcing many to use alternative modes of transport to reach Bandra.
Fishermen alleged that the project's impact on their community had yet to be studied and claimed it could be avoided altogether.
Malcom Jiu, a fisherman from Gorai âWe have come from Gorai to protest against the desalination project. The development is unfair for fishermen and their livelihoods. We don't know what will happen to the ocean when a large quantity of water has been sucked out, and saline water is thrown back in.'
