Mumbai: Activists Claim Matunga Parking Tower Project Lacks Fire Brigade NOC, Raising Safety Concerns

Mumbai: Intensifying the citizens’ protest against the construction of the Multi-level Robotic Parking Tower outside Matunga Central railway station, the activists now claim that the project has not received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB).

As per rules, construction of any project cannot commence without an NOC from the Fire Brigade, considering the safety of citizens in case of any disaster.

Notably, the plot outside the Matunga Central railway station where the Parking Tower is planned, does not have a city survey number under the Development Plan of Mumbai. The plot is currently used as an open parking space.

However, the contractor Jignesh Sanghavi claimed that he has procured all NOCs, including that of the MFB before receiving the work order from BMC for the Matunga Parking Tower project. “The citizens are ill-informed. I can produce NOC from the Fire Department in person to whoever asks,” he said. When the FPJ asked him to send a copy of the NOC, he asked for time to do that.

The Free Press Journal spoke with the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, A V Parab under whose jurisdiction the Matunga area falls to confirm if the department has given a NOC. Parab said that he is unaware of any proposal for a parking tower in Matunga and said that he will confirm if the MFB has received any such proposal.

Parab however added that if the plot does not have a city survey number, it is unlikely a NOC has been given. “If the project has received NOC from Railways, it is likely that the Railways have given all clearances under their powers,” the officer said.

Activist Trivedi said that he has also filed an RTI to MFB and BMC demanding the NOC copy and feasibility report, if any, for the Matunga Parking Tower project.

The Free Press Journal has reported on December 7 that the residents of Matunga had started an online signature campaign and also written to BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani giving an ultimatum to produce a feasibility report to the citizens, before a PIL is filed in the Bombay High Court.

The 18-plus-storeyed Parking Tower project, costing over Rs 103 crores, is undertaken by the BMC and recently received an NOC from Central Railways. However, the is planned on a 1518 sq mt congested area right outside the Matunga Central Railway station, which the citizens activists are calling nothing but a safety hazard and a project to please the developer.

The citizen activists demand that considering public safety, the project should be either scrapped or shifted to another plot.