'The road will happen'

Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Malabar Hill BJP MLA has been distributing pamphlets to residents telling them not to obstruct the proposed road "blindly". In his one page flyer appeal, the politician says that it is possible to "save fuel and reduce pollution" with the proposed road.

BJP MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha (l) and Snehal Ambekar, Mumbai mayor, at Raj Bhavan in August at an award ceremony. Pic/Rane Ashish

He dispels fears that the children's play area or amphitheater will be destroyed and claims "only a small portion of a flower bed" is to be utilised. He also writes that hardly any trees will be cut, and instead, 1000 trees will be planted.

Lodha strikes a note of assurance saying, pedestrians will continue using the road the same way. "How did the residents arrive at this number-74? No report says anything about the number of trees going to be cut," he told mid-day in response to objections from the residents.

He reiterated that the original "Siri road steps will remain and a motorable road will be made alongside." In response to a question about where these 1,000 trees will be planted, he said, "They will be planted in the area itself," and scoffed at the allegation that replanting has proved to be a failure, saying, "I do what I say."

Lodha claimed the Sunday morning protest against the road was fabricated. There were many schoolchildren who did not know what this was, they were simply brought in to buoy numbers for the protest. In fact, a lot of people are in favour of this road," he claimed.