Mumbai: Hundreds of citizens held a candlelight march on Friday evening along the lanes of Matharpacady, Mazgaon, an ‘urban village’, to protest against redevelopment plans that could obliterate the 16th-century settlement.
The protest, which began with prayers at a chapel, made its way through lanes lined with cottages and buildings constructed in a mix of Indian and Portuguese styles.
Mumbai News: Matharpacady Fights to Preserve 16th-Century Settlement Amid Redevelopment Threat | FPJ
BMC issues notification
A recent notification by the BMC threatens to bring the area under cluster development, which means that the entire precinct can be pulled down and replaced with skyscrapers.
Residents said that a construction company that bought development rights for structures in the periphery of the precinct, plan to acquire buildings in Matharpacady so that they can convert the project into a cluster development.
“Under this provision, a builder gets more concessions in construction rules, but they need a plot of least 6,000 sq mt. They do not have sufficient area for cluster development and are now trying to buy houses on the boundaries,” said Denis Baptista, a resident.
Matharpacady has been listed as a Grade III precinct under Mumbai’s urban heritage laws. While the grading recognises the architectural and cultural heritage of the area, the lower grade listing provides the area with no protection from being torn down.
DP 2034
Mumbai’s Development Plan (DP) 2034, the planning blueprint for the next decade, allows buildings and precincts listed under Grade III to be completely rebuilt. However, any changes in a graded precinct will need the approval of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee, which also includes independent experts.
Residents said that they had objected to the DP 2034 after which the area was excluded from being pulled down for cluster development.
People who want to preserve the historically and architecturally unique locality said they came to know about the plans in September. They added that builders have been eyeing the precinct since 2010. “We are particularly worried now because the builder claims to have a 'letter of intent' from the BMC to start the project, but we want to know if they have received the approval of the heritage committee,” said another resident.
“The builders have reportedly done a survey of the precinct. I wonder how they could do that without consulting us,” he said.
Godfrey Pimenta of the citizens’ group, Watchdog Foundation, a group campaigning for the preservation of gaothans, or villages that predate Mumbai’s establishment as a city, said that Matharpacady is a ‘beautiful jewel’. “We are here to protect our 189 gaothans. Our aim is to protect each and every gaothans of Mumbai. We are here to provide support,” said Pimenta.
