The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has recently replaced a signboard at the entrance of its tunnel near Nepean Sea Road, which previously claimed it to be "India’s first undersea tunnel." This move comes after civic activist Zoru Bhathena raised questions about the accuracy of this claim on social media. The new signboard now describes the tunnel as the "largest diameter tunnel constructed using TBM technology." While BMC denies that the change was prompted by Bhathena's criticism, a senior BMC officer mentioned that it's akin to a variable message sign and the next update will be about the Saccardo ventilation system, a first in India.
The tunnel, starting from Marine Drive and passing beneath Chowpatty before heading north towards Breach Candy, has been a subject of debate since its inauguration. Bhathena argued that the tunnel is actually below Malabar Hill and runs along the coast, not beneath the ocean. This discrepancy was further highlighted by Boom Live, an online platform combating misinformation, stating that the tunnel neither crosses the ocean nor is it constructed underwater.The replacement of the signboard sparked discussions online, especially after a Vashi resident, Amod Tamhankar, shared a photograph of the new board following his first trip on the coastal road.