The abandoned Shakti Mills at Mahalaxmi and its lane have become infamous ever since a 22-year-old photojournalist was gang-raped there in August 2013. Till date, women are reluctant to go anywhere near it after dark. In an attempt to change its reputation, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to make the road more pedestrian-friendly and safe.
The civic body, on Wednesday evening, already demolished most of the illegal structures alongside the wall of the mill. It is working on making the area accessible to all by widening the lane and ensuring proper connectivity with the main road as well as providing better lightning and beautifying it.
The project is part of a proposal that was conceptualised by two non-profit organisations and was approved by the Mumbai Commission for Arts, Music and Culture (MCAMC) last year. Following this, the Assistant Municipal Commissioner(AMC) of G (south) ward (Lower Parel, Elphinstone, and Mahalaxmi) along with his team conducted a recce of the area and 'literally' inspected every nook and corner of the lane.
"Any place that is brightly lit immediately appears safer and will dissuade miscreants from hanging around. The lane gets secluded during late evenings with no proper lighting. This turned the lane into a safe haven for anti-social elements. We have demolished all unauthorised structures and those suspicious-looking abandoned ones too," AMC of G (south) ward Sharad Ughade told the Free Press Journal.
The idea of developing the road came from the joint collaboration of Akshara Centre, a women's right organisation, and G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture. Their aim is to give the street back to the citizens, encourage people to use the road, and associate better memories with the place. The proposal was approved by the MCAMC after the presentation on August 29, 2019.
"The road leads to a dead-end so traffic flow is weak. After dark, a quiet stillness descends across the mill in a radius of 1.5 km to 2 km. We have already made a provision for installing proper lighting on the stretch. For this, we have already given a work order to the BrihanMumbai Electric-Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking. We will also take up road widening on the stretch very shortly. Following these initial work, we will start the beautification of the lane," added Ughade.
Surrounded by high-rise buildings and posh localities, Mumbai's now abandoned Shakti Mills represents its dark underbelly, which is yet to catch-up with the pace of the maximum city. The abandoned mill land near Mahalaxmi seems like a contiguous stretch of tall grass and beautiful ruins to an outsider. But it is divided into 'unseen zones'. The abandoned mill land has restricted enclosures that are a preserve of anti-social elements.
Mayor Kishori Pednekar and corporator of Lower Parel area had raised the issue of unsafe abandoned places and mill ruins immediately after she took over as the 77th mayor of the city. "I'm glad that the project has taken off. It was my mission to make this city safe for women. I had been discussing the issue of abandoned places with BMC officials and felt these ruins should be razed to the ground and be exposed completely. I had a target of starting the initiative from G (south) ward. I am sure this will be followed in other areas too very soon," Pednekar said.
