MUMBAI, March 16 -- A protest by residents of Cuffe Parade against the construction of a sea protection bund near Machhimar Nagar turned tense on Sunday after residents of the adjoining Machhimar Colony entered the protest venue and staged a counter-demonstration. Around 100 residents from across Cuffe Parade had gathered at Bay View Marine Garden around 11am to oppose the dumping of stones and construction of a soil bund along the Machhimar Nagar coastline. The protesters alleged that the activity could pave the way for land reclamation and future encroachments along the seafront. The protest was organised by members of the Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA), who demanded that authorities install tetrapods instead of constructing a soil bund to prevent seawater from entering settlements along the shoreline. Ashok Malhotra, 82, a resident, said locals had observed large quantities of stones being dumped into the sea in recent weeks. According to him, the activity appeared aimed at gradually creating reclaimed land that could later be encroached upon. Swati Ghatalia, 61, another resident who attended the protest, said residents feared a repeat of earlier developments in the area. "A similar pattern occurred earlier in Machhimar Nagar areas 1 and 2 two years ago, where land was gradually reclaimed and later encroached upon," she said. Dr Padmakar Nandekar, vice-president of the Cuffe Parade Residents Association, said allowing stones to be dumped into the sea could open the door to illegal reclamation. "If stones are allowed to be dumped in the sea, it effectively opens the door for illegal reclamation and future encroachments. Citizens cannot remain silent while public land is gradually taken over," he said. However, shortly after the protest began, around 200 residents from the adjoining Machhimar Colony entered the garden and opposed the demonstration, forcing the protest to halt. Some residents from the fishing settlement accused the Cuffe Parade residents of targeting the Koli community, regarded as Mumbai's original inhabitants - and attempting to restrict their access to the public garden. Shashikant Dhanu, 58, a resident of Machhimar Colony, said the garden was a public space. "For God's sake, this is a BMC garden. If they are residents, so are we. How can they block our access?" he said. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker and Colaba MLA Rahul Narwekar said the sea protection wall was being built following a scientific assessment conducted by the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) to address seawater ingress into homes during high tides and monsoon. According to MMB officials, the Machhimar Nagar coastline has been facing severe erosion during the monsoon due to direct wave action, affecting settlements along the shoreline. Documents from the Maharashtra Maritime Board show that the project involves constructing a 420-metre-long sea wall to protect the fishermen's settlement at Shivshahi Machhimar Nagar No. 5 in Cuffe Parade. A senior MMB official said the proposal has been prepared in accordance with guidelines issued by the Centre....