Marine Drive (File)
Even as an expert on behalf of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conducted the much-awaited inspection of the Victorian and Art Deco district around Oval Maidan on Friday, there is growing disagreement between residents of Marine Drive over the possible world heritage tag for the area that the state is actively pursuing. While a section of residents are still opposing the new set of guidelines for redevelopment of properties finalised by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, a faction fear that the accreditation of being a World Heritage site will not allow them to redevelop their buildings.
Those in favour of redevelopment said the representation to the Bombay High Court as well as the Supreme Court by the Federation of Churchgate Residents had been made without their knowledge or consent. Kanwal Shahpuri, a resident of Hari Niwas on C Road said, “The area was developed back in the 1950s and many of the buildings are in dire need of redevelopment. The heritage status from UNESCO will not allow re-development. The state government never consulted us when they applied for the UNESCO heritage status.”
Shahpuri added that he has formed a social media group and more than 400 other residents have come together to find a way to apply for redevelopment of their buildings. While the section of residents including Ashok Rao, president of the Federation of Churchgate Residents, have opposed the guidelines in the Supreme Court, the other faction of residents have pinned their hopes on guidelines drafted by the BMC. These guidelines on ‘Special Permissions to Re-development projects in the Marine Drive precinct’ were submitted last month in the form of an additional affidavit in response to a Special Leave Petition filed by the owner of the Vasant Sagar building back in 2014.
Under the new guidelines, the height of the front row buildings along Marine Drive may be raised from the existing limit of 24 metres to 32 metres while the row of buildings behind that may be raised from 24 metres to 58 metres. Of the other two zones in Marine Drive, the draft guidelines propose that the height of the Gymkhana zone be increased from 11-14 metres to 24 metres and of Chowpatty zone be increased from 21 metres to 32 metres.
Shahpuri added that he and other residents have recently approached the local BJP MLA Raj Purohit. “We had discussed our plans with Purohit and he has promised us that he will organise a discussion with Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta. Rao and his federation does not represent us and the opinion of majority of the residents has to count,” he said.
Another resident and advocate Ashok Goel, who is a resident of Aryan Mahal located on C Road, added that his building is 60 years old and is in need of re-development. “We are only able to take up patch-up repairs, which is only a temporary solution and we should have the right to re-develop the building. There is an ongoing legal case on this issue and we will have to consult all other residents before taking a legal step forward,” he said.
Defending his stand, Rao said that those who are opposing the UNESCO’s heritage status have never approached him or other members of the Federation.
“We are not against re-development of the buildings. My fight has always been with Vasant Sagar. Besides, if there is a requirement, they can go underground instead of increasing the height of the building. Our stand is to protect the Art Deco nature of the precinct,” he said. Rao added that all the residents who are opposing the heritage tag are not owners of the flats but tenants of buildings who have been living in the buildings at a nominal rent.
