Mumbai News: Marol Gaothan Residents Protest BMC, SRA Notices Classifying Heritage Homes As 'Slums'

Mumbai: After residents of Kurla Christian Village and Bamanwada, Andheri East, protested against notices that erroneously and arbitrarily classified houses in the gaothans or villages as 'slums', Bhandarwada, a part of Marol Gaothan, Andheri (East), is in a similar situation.

Bhandarwada residents received notices from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Slum Rehabilitation Authority, asking them to submit documents like electoral roll register extracts, electricity bills, property tax bills, and society registration certificates to the authorities.

Residents of the area said that the notice is objectionable and reflects a lack of acknowledgment that Bhandarwada is a part of Marol Gaothan, which has been officially notified and demarcated as a Gaothan in the sanctioned Development Plan of Mumbai, 2034.

Godfrey Pimenta, lawyer and trustee of Watchdog Foundation said that the revenue authorities have delineated the boundaries of Marol Gaothan, encompassing the entire Bhandarwada area. "Any attempt to classify these homes as slums is not only factually incorrect but also an affront to the indigenous East Indian community that has resided here for generations."

Pimenta also pointed out that Marol Gaothan has been listed at serial number 193 as a heritage precinct in the sanctioned Development Plan of Mumbai, 2034. The village has specimens of Indo-Portuguese villa architecture.

"The issuance of such notices, therefore, directly contradicts the preservation principles governing heritage sites and threatens the cultural and architectural legacy of this historic settlement," Pimenta added.

In a letter to the BMC, SRA, and the Maharashtra Chief Minister, the residents have lodged their objection to the notice and have demanded the immediate withdrawal of these notices, along with a formal acknowledgment of Marol Gaothan’s heritage status to prevent any further misrepresentation.