Mumbai: Cuffe Parade residents have objected to the renaming of road junctions and gardens in the area without consulting residents, and the installation of sponsorship plaques on road dividers that obstruct the vision of pedestrians and motorists using the street.
The Cuffe Parade Residents' Association (CPRA), which has complained to the 'A' municipal ward office, said that besides obstructing the line of sight for road users, the installations raise questions about their safety and legality. They also asked whether the guidelines for street furniture were followed before the construction. The CPRA also alleged that the boards were installed without consulting residents.
"Who has sanctioned the installation of these boards? Was any permission or clearance granted by the BMC or any other authority for placing corporate advertising in this manner on public infrastructure?" asked Dr Laura D'Souza, president, CPRA.
The complaint draws attention to an installation that has the names of IDBI Bank and Emerald Sustainable Foundation. CPRA has asked for information about the authority that sanctioned the boards. "The Advanced Locality Management, the recognised residents' association, has to be consulted before such work is done. We are recognised ALM for this area. We want to know how the project was cleared. In the absence of a clear and timely response from the ward office, we will be filing an RTI to obtain the required information through official channels," said D'Souza.
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Emerald Sustainable Foundation and IDBI Bank did not respond to messages and calls for a comment. Jaydeep More, assistant municipal commissioner of A ward, said that the plaques were removed on Friday.
CPRA has also raised the issue of gardens and road junctions that have been renamed without consulting residents.
Street furniture as eyesores and safety hazards.
Residents of Cuffe Parade have drawn attention to poorly designed and dangerous street furniture in the area. This includes a fountain with metal spikes along the boundary, raised plaques on road dividers, and
In 2001, the Committee for Protection and Improvement of Streets and Public Places released guidelines for street furniture. Members of the committee included architects Brinda Somaya and P K Das, who have been involved in designing public spaces in the city. Introducing the guidelines, the then BMC municipal commissioner, Karun Srivastava, said that poorly designed street furniture like garbage bins, tree guards, and benches has created visual chaos. Road dividers, barricades, and bus stops are not consistent with the surroundings and add to disharmony, the guidelines said.
