Mumbai: Residents, traders stage protest against encroachment at Matunga cycle track

Mumbai: The cycle track built by the BMC near Shandmukhanand hall at Matunga is now home to drug addicts and slumdwellers. It is also on local parking space, causing inconvenience to residents and traders.

So with a demand to remove the track and make the area encroachment free, the traders, along with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), protested on Friday.

Under its ambitious project, a bicycle track is being built along with the Tansa water pipeline from Mulund to Wadala in 2018. In the second phase, a cycle track was built in Matunga (Kings circle).

But now, the track is lying unused, with encroachment by slum dwellers. Also, garbage is dumped by them on the roads and cycle track, which is making the place unhygienic, complaints the residents.

Pramit Mehta, a local resident said, "Earlier, it was spot for parking vehicles of local resident and also for customers coming to Gandhi market. So we had opposed the plan of cycle track four years back. But it was still built without any logical planning. Now since their is no parking available in the area for residents and customers who are now avoiding to come to this market which is affecting the shopkeepers business."

Yashwant killedar, chairperson of MNS Vyapari Sena said, "Before bringing concept of cycle track to Mumbai the BMC should have studied infrastructure, traffic issues and population in the city. Such cycle tracks are only creating inconvenience."

After the protest of traders along with MNS, civic officials visited the site and inspected it on Friday.

Ramakant Biradar, deputy municipal commissioner of zone 2 said, "The residents had complaint that they are facing parking issue and they have not left with any space for parking due to cycle track. I have forwarded their letter to deputy municipal (special engineering). They will sort the issue."