RTI reveals 13-storey parking lot plan at park!

Residents of Bandra meet regarding the issue at Patwardhan Park in March. Pic/Shadab Khan

In an RTI reply on Monday to a query by residents of Bandra West, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revealed the map for a 10-storey parking tower with two basement floors at Patwardhan Park, instead of the three-storey underground lot mentioned in a tender notice. Local residents have been fighting for the past two months against the civic body's decision to construct an underground parking facility.

The BMC's claim and reports on parking solutions are just an eyewash, residents said. The BMC had floated a tender on March 6, 2023 for a parking lot under a portion of Patwardhan Park next to Balgandharva Rangmandir. Residents and activists have been consistently opposing the move.

Illustration of the parking lot in the RTI reply

What RTI reply revealed

Now in an RTI reply to activist Zoru Bhathena, the BMC has revealed the map of a parking tower with two basement floors and a ground plus 10-storey building. The BMC mentioned a three-storey underground parking lot in its tender notice. "But as per the documents received by RTI, it is revealed that the BMC has a plan to construct a tower on the said plot. And after the BMC issues a tender, they can change the plan later on," said Bhathena.

Also read: Mumbai: In its haste to beautify, BMC defaces beach

The RTI letter on April 3, requested the office of the Garden Department of H west ward to provide copies of entire files available in the BMC office pertaining to the tender proposal for parking below Patwardhan Park. In the reply given on Monday the BMC has given the plan for a 10-storey parking tower on a part of Patwardhan Park. The RTI reply also revealed that local MLA Ashish Shelar requested the BMC civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal to build a parking lot at Patwardhan Park in November. In a letter dated November 25, 2022 to the Garden Department at H west ward, the deputy chief engineer of traffic has mentioned that the commissioner directed the traffic department to review the proposal for parking at the park and to process the tender within 15 days. Accordingly, BMC traffic department officials visited Patwardhan Park and found five peltophorum trees which may require re-plantation. The traffic department requested to get remarks from the Garden Department at the earliest.

Residents and activists have been opposing the move for a parking lot under Patwardhan Park. File pic/Pradeep Dhivar

The Garden Department replied on December 1 that no plan was received with the letter and if the proposal is submitted along with a map and necessary documents, the proposal can be further submitted for the approval of the tree authority after inspection.

Bhathena also claimed that BMC officials said that they have conducted a report for checking sites in January 2023. But if the decision was taken in November itself then the report is just an eyewash.

"There isn't any such plan. How could we construct such a high tower on the plot? How can a 10-storey structure be built for just R75 crore (as mentioned in the tender)? We mentioned a three-storey underground structure in the tender notice but now we will revise it to a two-storey structure as per the existing norms," said an official from the BMC's traffic department.

P Velarasu, additional commissioner of the BMC remained unavailable for comment despite messages.

Deaf ear to residents' opposition

The BMC is pushing for underground parking at Appasaheb Patwardhan Park despite opposition from residents and activists. In the latest development on April 18, 65 residents came together in the park to discuss the issue and invited local MLA. As MLA Ashish Shelar didn't turn up, residents marched to his office and handed over a letter requesting a meeting at the park. "We have been trying to meet him for the past one and half month. But he isn't getting time. He hasn't assured us that the process of tender will be stopped till the meeting. So we went to his office to request him one more time," said one of the residents.

Residents had also invited six local former corporators to the meeting. Asif Zakaria from Congress and Raja Rehbar Khan were present and supported the residents while four other corporators Alka Kerkar, Swapna Mhatre, Hetal Gala, Sanjay Agaldare skipped it. BMC officials also did not visit the park as requested by residents.