Juhu to lose half an acre of garden for Metro PAP rehab

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is implementing the D N Nagar-Mandale near Mankhurd Metro 2-B corridor, has decided to take over a portion of a civic garden off Gulmohar Road in Juhu and construct a building to rehabilitate the residents of two four-storey Mhada buildings in Andheri that come in the way of the alignment. While Mhada had given its nod for the proposal, the BMC's general body approval is awaited. The project proposal will be tabled before the civic improvements committee on Thursday.
The 7,623 sq m garden plot is in Mhada's name, but is in the possession of the BMC, which maintains it. The BMC even built a public gymnasium inside the garden using the local corporator's fund in 2006. Officials said the gym will be demolished for the rehab building. Sources said as the garden is reserved as a public open space, the government will have to change its reservation to allow construction of the rehabilitation building on 2,345 sq m (over half an acre) of the garden plot.
The two Mhada buildings at D N Nagar in Andheri need to be razed to construct pillars for the elevated Metro 2-B corridor, said officials. MMRDA asked Mhada to shift the residents to another location and after a long discussion, Mhada zeroed in on Tilak Garden plot on lane number 9 on Gulmohar Road.
The BMC was initally reluctant to surrender the plot anticipating controversy and asked Mhada to look for another alternative. But recently, the BMC gave its all clear after Mhada assured the BMC that it can develop the "leftover space" after construction of the two Metro pillars as open space in lieu of surrendering a portion of the garden.
But activists are upset. "How can a garden be used for rehabilitation...They are misleading the people by saying that they will develop a garden around the Metro pillars. Can they give one example where they managed to develop such a garden below Metro or monorail?" asked activist Zoru Bathena. Congress corporator and improvements committee member Ashraf Azmi said, "The affected building residents need to be accommodated properly, but why don't they opt for a vacant government plot in the vicinity, instead of disturbing the garden." He added that the government has taken over 33 hectares of land at Aarey Colony in Goregaon for the Metro car shed metro and is now trying to take over other green spaces too. But civic officials said the local public representatives were taken into confidence while deciding about PAPs' rehabilitation.