25 September,2016 12:02 PM IST | | Aparna Shukla
In a desperate attempt to cope with growing traffic woes in their area, residents of Hiranandani Gardens launch online petition
No more a serene nieghbourhood, the road running past Powai Plaza at Hiranandani Gardens is testament to its infamous traffic snarls. Pic/Atul Kamble
Residents of Powai's celebrated luxury quarters, Hiranandani Gardens now have to deal with a growing menace. The 100-acre plot, which was developed for residential purposes rather than as a hub for corporate parks and eateries, has become a commuter's nightmare in the last 7-8 months. As a response, residents launched an online petition on September 14 to protest against the apathy of corporate shuttle buses, ruthless drivers and lack of traffic personnel, which has garnered support of more than 500 people till date.
A copy of the petition has been sent to Ajoy Mehta, municipal commissioner and Milind Bharambe, the joint commissioner of police, Mumbai traffic department.
Manisha Chopra, a resident in her late sixties who has signed the petition, said that she moved from Cuffe Parade to Hiranandani in search of calm and peace. "Now, the situation is such that I fear for my aging husband every time he steps out, as even crossing the road has become unsafe. As senior citizens, we are facing a really hard time. Accidents have become frequent. The one-way roads have traffic coming from all sides; there is double, sometimes even triple, parking - no one seems to be following the rules," she said.
With more than 100 buildings in the complex, the neighbourhood hospital meant for residents has become difficult to access, say complainants. Take the case of Sreekrishna Bhave, the resident who initiated the online petition, who recalled that when his daughter faced a recent ligament tear, it took them more than 45 minutes to reach the hospital which was just under a kilometre away.
Corporates blamed
While there is a growing concern about restaurants that park their delivery vehicles on the road, one of the main reasons, petitioners point out, is that several commercial buildings have come up inside the complex. They claim that corporate shuttle buses and vans park on the roads to pick up and drop employees, creating havoc. "Most of these companies are KPOs and BPOs, which work on holidays and weekends. This means that we cannot even live peacefully during those days," Bhave added.
Tarun Grover, who owns an executive search firm, often walks home after entering the complex and asks his driver to come on his own, stating there is no choice. "As there is work going on at the service road, the entire traffic from the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) has been redirected to the complex, which could be a major cause of the problem," Tarun said.
Lack of traffic police has resulted in such a problem. "There is absolutely no traffic police where they are actually needed. It clearly shows the carelessness of the authorities," said resident Hanuman Tripathi.
