Mumbai: BMC’s Rs 25-crore gift to hawkers and encroachers

One side (left) of Jawahar Road, which the BMC is yet to open to the public, is taken over by hawkers to sell their wares and motorists to park vehicles. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

One side of Jawahar Road in Ghatkopar, constructed two years ago, has not been thrown open to traffic yet, instead it is taken over by hawkers and people use the road to park vehicles. Locals have raised questions as to why the BMC was yet to allow traffic on one side of the road. Former corporator Rakhi Jadhav said, "Whenever I ask civic officials about it, they do not cite any reason. It is suspected that there is some malpractice involved in not opening the road."

The cement concrete road was constructed two years ago at a cost of Rs 25 crore but traffic was allowed on only one side of the road. Jadhav said, "This road falls in the station area and is always congested. Once opened, this will help lessen the congestion. I have been following up with the BMC and asked them why the road has not been opened yet but never got a response." Assistant Municipal Commissioner of N ward Sanjay Sonawane did not respond to mid-day's calls and messages.

Vehicles parked on the yet-to-open part of Jawahar Road. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

As per sources in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, this stretch of the road is a link from Jawahar Road to Andheri Ghatkopar Link Road and will further connect to MG Road in future. A major part of the road was handed over to the civic body after the slum redevelopment.

Also Read: Mumbai: When clock strikes 7, it is party time for hawkers at Bandra

Jadhav said, "There was a plan to connect this road with Andheri Ghatkopar Link Road, but it's still only on paper. If BMC connects this missing link, it will save time for commuters. Currently it takes around 15-20 minutes for motorists to go from MG Road to Andheri Ghatkopar Link Road, which will be reduced by half once this road is opened. It will also benefit the residents of Laxmi Nagar in Vikhroli."

Bhaskar Chavan, a Ghatkopar resident, said, "We already suffer due to illegal parking and hawkers. And now BMC's attitude is inviting more illegal hawkers and illegal parking here. This road is always flooded with traffic and BMC needs to open this road for vehicles."

Rs 25cr
Cost of road construction

20
Time (in mins) it takes motorists to get from MG Road to Andheri Ghatkopar Link Road

02
Time (in years) since the road work was completed