3 roads lost to cluster development

The first-ever cluster development project approved by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at Bhendi Bazar has led to three access roads being deleted in the guise of realignments. Local residents have complained that they were unaware about the change in the civic plan.

A watchdog organisation has claimed that in cluster 1, more than 20,000 square metres has been reserved for the mausoleum of the former head of the Bohra community, thus defeating the purpose of the development project.

Speaking about the problem, Anwar Bhojani from Political Looks, the watchdog foundation concerned, said, “We have issued a legal notice through advocate Ashraf Ahmad Shaikh to the chief minister, BMC commissioner, police commissioner and several other authorities, demanding to know how such exclusive permissions for cluster 1 was granted to the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT).”

He also said, “The three roads — namely Saifee Jubilee Street, Raudat Tahera Street and Dharamshy Cross Lane — have been included in the Rauza Complex in the guise of realignment. Locals used these three roads for access to Null Bazaar. However, the opinion of residents was not taken, as a result of which they will have to take a circuitous route to enter or exit from the area,” and added that the same has been mentioned in the legal notice as well.

“We have attached letters of the religious groups living in the vicinity of cluster 1, wherein they have highlighted the problems they anticipate during Moharrum as 4 to 4.5 lakh devotees visit the area during that period. But there has been no response from the authorities,” Mr Bhojani said.

J Ghegadmal, a ward officer of C-Ward, said, “I am not an authority on the issue and the plan has been approved by the commissioner. The deletion of the roads could cause inconvenience during Moharrum. I will forward the feedback of the residents and their complaints to the authorities.”

BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta did not respond to calls or an SMS sent by this correspondent.

N. Mhaske, police inspector, JJ Marg police station, said: “We had written to the BMC about the objections of the residents, but were told that the deletion was according to plans.”

On being contacted, SBUT sent an emailed response saying, “The Bhendi Bazaar project has been complying with the applicable provisions of Regulation 33(9) of the DCR. The project plans and the overall master layout, including the realignment of small lanes into wide roads, have been approved by all the authorities concerned.”

SBUT, however, failed to respond to a query on how they could delete the roads in the name of realignment.