Mumbai: BMC duplicity irks Bandra residents

Civic officials say five yellow flame trees need to be replanted from Patwardhan Park. Representation pic

Residents of Bandra West have found further discrepancies in BMC's plan for an underground parking space at Patwardhan Park. While response to an RTI query and a report by Mumbai Parking Authority claim only five trees are in the way of the project, residents say at least nine would need to go. Mid-Day on Monday reported a stark difference in the BMC's plan for an underground parking plaza on a plot inside Patwardhan Park, next to Bal Gandharva Ranga Mandir. While the civic body had issued a tender for a three-storey parking facility, activist Zoru Bhathena got a map for a 13-story structure in response to his RTI query. Bhathena had sought details from the Garden Department of the BMC under the RTI Act.

"But this is not the first time that the BMC has revealed different plans in RTI. In 2018, when the BMC had decided to construct a parking lot beneath Patwardhan Park, the tender notice showed just half a plan. An RTI query later revealed that the civic body had planned to build a shopping plaza and restaurants in phase II," Bhathena said. Residents and activists have been consistently opposing the proposed project, citing environmental damage. "What else can we citizens do, but protest and wait for the BMC to wake up," said Indra Mohan Gupta, a resident of Bandra. The RTI query further revealed that the deputy chief engineer of traffic, in a letter to the Garden Department, said that they found five peltophorum (yellow flame) trees which may require re-plantation for construction of the parking lot.

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Residents of Bandra West during a meeting at Patwardhan Park. File Pic/Shadab Khan

"But, there are 10 trees on the plot where the BMC has proposed to build the parking facility. Out of 10 trees, one is in the corner and may survive. However, the other trees would have to be removed to construct the parking plaza. We are ready to show civic officials the nine full-grown trees on the plot," said Aditi Kane, a local resident and an activist. Even a report submitted by the Mumbai Parking Authority mentioned that there are only five trees, and that the land is currently closed. However, residents claimed the BMC deliberately closed the gates, even though children used to play there.

Another resident alleged that this was a ploy by local politicians to gain popularity. "Several years ago, a development plan was published for a road to be built towards Pali Hill. One MLA got citizens to start a petition and subsequently, the plan was scrapped. Politicians are fooling citizens with fake projects to create angst and confusion. Then a petition is requested and the proposed plan, which was not going to be implemented anyway, is withdrawn, for which the politician takes credit without doing any actual work," said Rehan Merchant, a resident of Bandra and an activist. Those opposing the parking facility have been trying to be heard by local MLA Ashish Shelar for the past two months, but in vain.

10
No of trees in area where project is proposed