Bandra-Khar residents celebrate as Patwardhan Park underground parking gets axed

The open plot at Patwardhan Park in Bandra, where an underground parking facility was being planned. File Pic/Shadab Khan

The several months-long battle of Bandra and Khar residents protesting against the controversial underground parking lot at Patwardhan Park concluded on Tuesday after the additional municipal commissioner concerned scrapped the project tender. While a controversial underground parking lot at Pushpa Narsee Park that Juhu residents had been protesting against was scrapped shortly after it was announced, Khar and Bandra locals had to fight for more than a year to get the BMC to ditch the Patwardhan Park plan. Vandre West MLA Ashish Shelar hinted at the decision during a flag-hoisting ceremony on August 15.

A civic official said that the tender would not be uploaded on the e-tender site. "After so many extensions the BMC decided to stop tendering for the project. There was resistance from locals as well as a case in the court. The additional commissioner concerned signed the document on Tuesday," said an official from the BMC. Though the BMC needed permission to allot a work order as the matter is in the high court, it doesn't need permission to scrap it. However, the civic official added that the tender can be floated in the future if required.

The open plot at Bal Gandharva Rangmandir at Patwardhan Park in Bandra, where a parking lot was being planned. File Pic/Shadab Khan

The BMC floated the tender for an underground parking lot for 288 cars at Patwardhan Park in March 2023. The residents had given a long fight to oppose the underground parking lot. BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani confirmed that the underground parking lot project had been scrapped.

A senior BMC official said that though the process had been on for a while, technically it was scrapped on Tuesday after signing of the document. The decision was proposed in the background of local resistance, litigation as well as local MLAs meeting with the earlier commissioner regarding the same. The issue will be revisited after considering residents' views.

Zoru Bhathena, who has been at the forefront of the protest, said, "We are indeed grateful to BMC for scrapping their plan. Parks and gardens need to be kept mud-filled and open, not cemented. Linking Road has over 500 unused underground parking spaces. Adding to them is not going to solve the mess. Kudos to the BMC for correcting its plans after residents pointed out this basic flaw in them."

How events unfolded

>> February 2, 2023 - Then-Additional Commissioner P Velrasu visited Raosaheb Patwardhan Park in Bandra West and Pushpa Narsee Park at JVPD Scheme after requests from residents

>> February 18, 2023 - The first meeting of citizens against the Pushpa Narsee Park project was held.

>> March 4, 2023 - Local MLA Ameet Satam wrote a letter to the BMC to consider another plot for the parking lot.

>> March 6, 2023 - The BMC floated tenders for Patwardhan Park for a 288-car parking lot with an estimated value of R75 crore. The date of submission of the tender was April 3.

>> March 12, 2023 - Around 70 Bandra residents met at the spot to support the ‘No parking under the park' movement.

>> March 31, 2023 - In a pre-bid meeting, residents raised objections.

>> April 2, 2023 - The BMC started pushing the deadline for the submission of tender documents. The deadline would be pushed at least 12 times since.

>> April 17, 2023 - Bandra West residents held a march to meet with MLA Ashish Shelar. But he was out of town.

>> April 27, 2023 - Activists filed a PIL against the proposed parking lot under Patwardhan Park.

>> August 15, 2024 - Shelar hinted that the BMC was going to scrap the tender during a flag-hoisting ceremony.