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  BMC’s Development Plan survey gets it wrong on churches, again

BMC’s Development Plan survey gets it wrong on churches, again

AGE CORRESPONDENT
Published : Nov 15, 2015, 1:22 am IST
Updated : Nov 15, 2015, 1:22 am IST

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s designation survey of the proposed draft Development Plan (DP) 2034 has made many glaring mistakes in marking the locations of churches, several of them being heri

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s designation survey of the proposed draft Development Plan (DP) 2034 has made many glaring mistakes in marking the locations of churches, several of them being heritage monuments in the city.

According to the study report carried out by the NGO Watchdog Foundation of various churches in the city, the civic body has failed to correct the errors in the earlier DP survey, thus jeopardizing the status of churches in the city.

While the Mount Mary Basilica, Bandra (W), is shown as a Residential Commercial Zone, the designated survey for ward H/west mentions various areas around Mount Mary Church, but the church itself is not mentioned anywhere, says the report.

The report also says the Cathedral of Holy Name church at Fort, which falls in the heritage area, was earlier shown as Commercial Residential Zone. But no corrections have been done. The Holy Family Church, Chakala, Andheri (E), was wrongly shown as Industrial Zone. Its position has not been changed in the survey.

The Our Lady Of Health, Sahar, has been misspelled as ‘Our Lady of Help’ in the designation survey. Inside the church compound a new reservation is shown as playground/park/garden. The church was earlier shown as Commercial Residential Zone.

The St. Blaise church at Amboli, Andheri (W), which was earlier shown as Commercial Residential Zone, is now shown as a cemetery. The St. Francis Xavier, Vile Parle (W), which was earlier shown as orphanage, is now proposed to be shown as a primary and secondary school.

“The BMC should not hurt the religious sentiments of any community by making blunders in marking their religious structures,” said Nicholas Almeida, the trustee of Watchdog Foundation.