A lost virgin beach surfaces in Andheri West, thanks to locals

MUMBAI: A beach lying in a decrepit state, hidden amid rubble and riddled with encroachments, has been restored to its former lost glory thanks to the efforts of citizens and an MLA. The 1.5-km virgin beach, untainted and beautiful, begins from Ganesh Visarjan Lane in Andheri West and ends on the border of Juhu Beach.

Enthusiastic citizen and local MLA Ameet Satam worked for over a decade to resurrect the lost stretch of sand. “It took us 10 years to follow up with the BMC and police,” said Satam, who removed over 150 shanties and methi farms from the area. “Mumbai now has a new beach and a vital open space, separated from Juhu Beach by only a small creek.”

The MLA said they realised that the main cause of the mushrooming encroachments on the beach was the illegal methi plantations. “The methi producers used to dig ring wells for sweet water on the beach, grow methi and sell it,” he said. “They had provided shelter to their labourers right there and also had hutments with allied activities going on.”

Satam, however, does not envisage the beach as a regular open expanse for space-starved Mumbaikars. Plans are underway to transform it into a tourist destination, with gobo lighting, flooring projections, and other features similar to Siloso Beach in Singapore. Right now, the main challenge is preventing fresh encroachments, and the beach is thus currently under surveillance.

Daisy Arora, a resident of Juhu-Versova Link Road, said she was eager to visit the brand-new space post its restoration. “We used to be afraid to go there,” she said. “It was dirty, encroached upon with methi farming and plagued by illegal activities. Thanks to our MLA, we now have a clean, open space and a beautiful beach.”