Mumbai: Proposal for Patwardhan park underground parking lot moved in 2022 after discussion with Shelar, reveals RTI

Mumbai: The proposal of underground parking at Patwardhan Park in Bandra West was moved further after discussion with MLA Ashish Shelar in November 2022, said BMC in a reply to RTI on Monday.

However, the residents expressed displeasure and decided to continue the movement to save the park. Even after stiff opposition from the residents of Bandra, the BMC is still firm on its decision of underground parking at Patwardhan Park. So the residents had recently visited Shelar's office to get his support for the movement.

2 basements, 10 upper parking floors proposed in the park

Meanwhile, Zoru Bhathena, an environmental activist, had requested information under RTI filed to the BMC regarding the proposed underground parking at Patwardhan Park. In its reply, the BMC said that a meeting was held in the chamber of the municipal commissioner with MLA Ashish Shelar in November 2022, after which direction was given to review the proposal for the underground parking building proposed on part of Patwardhan Park.

Accordingly, the tender process was directed to start in 15 days. As per the plan, two basements and 10 upper parking floors are proposed in the park. "It is shocking to see that BMC has planned parking in the park simply based on the MLA request without any study. Surely both the BMC and the MLA know that there are over 400 empty, unused underground car parking spaces available in the immediate vicinity of Patwardhan Park and more parking will only be further misused," said Zoru Bhathena. 

Asif Zakaria, ex corporator of Bandra, said, "Parking is the issue in an entire city, but that does not mean that the BMC should start constructing underground parking under every park. Open spaces are like assets that we will leave for our future generations. The BMC should have dialogue with the residents as they have done surveys of the area." When contacted, Shelar agreed that he had given a letter to the BMC for underground parking at Patwardhan Park.