Mumbai: The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation has decided to revive its plan to have underground parking and also reviewed sites in Bandra and Juhu on February 2.
Their initial plan was to construct one underneath the Raosaheb Patwardhan Garden in the western suburb of Bandra which when first proposed had met with severe resistence.
BMC reconsidering underground parking lot under Patwardhan park?
However, according to a Times of India report, the BMC is now considering building an underground parking lot under the adjoining plot as the authorities claimed it has lesser trees.
The BMC had reportedly also floated a Rs 88 crore tender in 2018 which did not take off. The BMC also had a provision for the project in 2017-18 civic budget.
The TOI report quoted a senior official saying that they will not disturb the garden and instead use the adjoining RG plot which is near Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir.
A civic official added that the tender will be floated only after a thorough examination of soil below both plots and told that they have appointed a consultant for soil investigation.
BMC plans a parking lot under Pushpa Narsee Park in Juhu
Meanwhile, a Midday report stated that the civic body has also proposed an underground parking below the popular Pushpa Narsee park which is also being met with resistence from locals.
The report stated that apart from residents, environmentalists, activists have also been oppoising the plan. A resident was quoted as saying that they have been demanding a parking lot for a few years now since unknown vehicles from other locations are often parked in their area. the resident, however, pointed out that they did not want the lot at the cost of open space.
Residents, and environmentalists oppose
The resident went onto suggest that the civic agency has a huge land which they use as dumping yard which can be used for creating parking lot instead of uprooting the park.
Meanwhile, Nitin Killawala, an architect and Juhu resident, was quoted in TOI saying that Pushpa Narsee park is one of the few that have dedicated cycle tracks and he dubbed the move to construct underground parking lot below the park as 'regressive'.
The officials said that they will utilise the central lawn portion and re-establish park on the upper portion of slap in JVPD scheme but envrionemntalists have opposed the plan.
Environmentalist Zoru Bathena told Midday that they will oppose plans to build parking lots beneath any garden as they are not parking spots. Bathena added that having a public parking lot where none is required is bound to tank.
Meanwhile Anand Pendharkar, an ecologist said, that all public parks and places should be free of construction. Citing examples of Maheshwari Udyan, Coastal Road, he said the green and open space is being systematically destructed.
