Maharashtra Fisheries and Ports Development Minister Nitesh Rane has said there is no plan to install 20 floating hoardings off the Mumbai coast, clarifying that a Maharashtra Maritime Board tender relates to four structures in total, including two already existing near the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
Rane said in a post on X that only two additional floating hoardings had been proposed, rejecting reports that 20 such installations would be placed in Mumbai’s coastal waters. He described the reports as “completely false and misleading” and said the tender had been misunderstood and misinterpreted.
The minister, whose department oversees the Maharashtra Maritime Board, said he was placing the facts on record as the Ports Minister and chairman of the board. He also said he would not support an initiative that compromised Mumbai’s marine environment or obstructed views of the waterfront.
The clarification followed a letter from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Thackeray had sought the chief minister’s intervention against what he called “floating hoardings” in Mumbai’s seas, describing permission for the installations as irresponsible and warning that they could damage the city’s aesthetics.
Rane’s statement distinguishes between existing structures and newly proposed installations. According to his account, two hoardings are already located near the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, while two more were part of the proposal linked to the Maharashtra Maritime Board tender. The statement does not provide further details on the proposed locations, dimensions, advertising arrangements or the approval status of the two new structures.
The dispute has placed a public tender involving coastal waters within a wider debate over how Mumbai’s waterfront is managed. Floating advertising structures can involve multiple considerations, including marine conditions, navigation, views from the shoreline and the regulation of commercial activity in the sea. The minister’s clarification, however, addresses the number of structures and the government’s stated environmental position rather than providing technical details of the tender.
Rane said the government was willing to engage with those seeking clarification and share relevant information transparently. He also appealed against politicising the issue, saying the state government was committed to environmental responsibility and development progressing together.
The Maharashtra Maritime Board, which floated the tender and operates under Rane’s department, remains the key institution connected to the proposal. Further information on the tender’s conditions, the proposed sites and the process for environmental or other clearances was not included in the minister’s clarification. The government’s next step is to share information with stakeholders seeking details about the proposed floating hoardings.
