Alleging unauthorized changes in the land reservation of a playground in Sector 21, Juinagar, the Shirvane-Juinagar Ground Protection Committee conducted a public protest in front of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) headquarters on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 10 AM.
According to the Committee, the plot in question was earmarked as a multi-purpose playground under the Navi Mumbai Development Plan 2018–2038, based on local needs and existing land use. However, citing a Bombay High Court order dated July 5, 2024 (PIL No. 83/2024), NMMC allegedly floated tenders for soil excavation from the reserved land. The residents claim this is being done to benefit private contractors, rather than the public.
The Committee insists that the said High Court order contains no instructions permitting such a change in land reservation. "The municipal corporation has misinterpreted the court’s order to justify unauthorized alterations that go against public interest," the committee said in a statement.
They further point out that while the revised development plan under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 has been submitted to the state government for approval, no approval or directive regarding change of land use has been received either from the state government or the High Court.
Local residents also argue that in the absence of elected public representatives in NMMC, municipal officials are allegedly taking arbitrary decisions without considering public welfare. A fresh tender was floated six months after the previous one, raising suspicion among citizens regarding the true intent behind these actions.
Despite submitting petitions and request letters to the Chief Minister, both Deputy Chief Ministers, the NMMC Commissioner, and the Urban Development Department, residents claim they have received no response or support from any authority.
The residents have formed the Shirvane-Juinagar Ground Protection Committee to safeguard their right to the playground, which is regularly used by children, senior citizens, and the local community for sports, recreation, and cultural activities.
The protest was intended to demand that the NMMC cancel the tender and uphold the original reservation of the land for public use.
