Mumbai Eye: Fifteen years on, city’s ‘Ferris Wheel’ project stuck on paper Premium

BMC plans to construct a 'Mumbai Eye' similar to London Eye, facing opposition and concerns from residents and environmentalists.

Story so far: In its biggest-ever budget, Mumbai’s civic body – the Brihanmumbai Municipal corporation (BMC), unveiled its plan to construct a ‘Mumbai Eye’ similar to the London Eye. An ode to the 443-feet Ferris Wheel called the ‘Millennium Wheel’ located on the River Thames in London, the Mumbai Eye has been in the works since 2008 but is yet become reality.

In the budget document, the BMC states that it intends to erect ‘Mumbai Eye’ in line with ‘London Eye’ at a suitable location under public private partnership (PPP) Model. The proposed Ferris wheel will feature air-conditioned passenger units capable of holding 25 people at a time. As per previous estimates, the structure is likely to attract 70 lakh visitors per year. In comparison, the London Eye, which offers a 30-minute Ferris wheel ride and a panoramic view of the city, attracts 35 lakh visitors per year. 

Previously, two locations progressed till the feasibility study were Bandra Bandstand and Bandra Reclamation – both of which are sea-facing and offers a bird’s eye view of the city’s coastline.

“We don’t oppose the project. But it should not be in our Bandra Reclamation area,” says Maharashtra Information Technology minister Ashish Shelar to The Hindu. The Bandra West MLA had protested against the project in 2023 when it had zeroed in on Bandra Reclamation as a suitable site. The project was scrapped as recently as September last, due to the unavailability of a suitable location.

The project, which was first proposed by the BMC in 2008, travelled a full circle passing to state authorities – MSRDC and MMRDA – before coming back to the BMC.

In 2008, undivided Shiv Sena’s corporator Ravindra Waikar, who headed the BMC’s Standing Committee, had proposed the idea of the Mumbai Eye. Envisioned as a 650-feet tall Ferris Wheel, the BMC initially zeroed in on the 14,000 square-metre land near Bandra Bandstand as a suitable site. Aimed at attracting tourists and additional revenue for the BMC, the project got delayed as it needed clearance for the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) from the Centre. 

Three years later, it was the Congress-NCP state government which revived the project. In a weekly cabinet meeting, deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar proposed building the ‘Mumbai Eye’ close to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, off the toll plaza. Tasking the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC) with the task, Mr. Pawar assured that the necessary CRZ clearances will be sorted before going ahead with the project. However, the project never took off the ground.