Amid opposition from residents of Mumbai’s Breach Candy, work on underground parking lot stalled since October

Work on the Breach Candy parking lot took off last year, with the civic body completing all excavation works by October. However, amidst protests from residents, including the Breach Candy Residents Forum (BCRF), BMC officials said that work on the underground parking lot has come to a standstill. “All work on the site has been stalled since Diwali when the excavation was completed,” said a BMC official.

With an arm of the coastal road exiting from the Bhulabhai Desai Road, the establishment of the coastal road has brought increased vehicular traffic in the locality. Many residents have expressed concerns the new parking facility will trigger further traffic in the area. In a letter to the BMC commissioner, BCRF called for the cancellation of the proposal for the parking lot citing concerns over “increased congestion at Mukesh Chowk, traffic implications, logistical challenges for residents, visitors inconvenience and underutilisation of the existing parking lots of South Mumbai” amongst other reasons.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Nigum Lakhani, a resident, said, “Currently, residents are already facing increased traffic with the opening of the coastal road at Bhulabhai Desai Road. We have already been requesting an exit on the Napean Sea Road as of now, even people heading to Napean Sea or Malabar Hill have to take this exit. With the establishment of the 200+ parking lot in the area, there will be even more issues in the locality which has schools, hospitals, temples etc. Furthermore, there was also continuous seepage of seawater in the dug-up trench for which BMC has now set up pumps.”

Instead, Lakhani said, residents have requested an alternate means of parking through the bifurcation of parking lots at different pockets. “We have also met our MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha to highlight our issues who have also assured us of help. We are waiting for a positive response from the civic body.”

BMC officials said the parking lot will not only enhance the experience for visitors but also alleviate congestion by providing alternate space for vehicles which are parked on the road. “In our meeting, we appealed to residents that the parking lot will also benefit them besides the visitors and commuters of the coastal road. However, the locals have refused to budge and therefore, all works have been stalled now,” said a BMC official.

Besides protesting over the proposed parking sites and petitions for a new exit through Napean Sea, residents have also opposed the establishment of the integrated command control centre in the area. However, the structure for the command centre — which will serve as a mini-disaster room for the entire coastal road — has already been constructed.

Recently, the civic body also revised its parking lot proposal near Lotus Jetty junction to accommodate 70 buses and cars. The revised proposal, which is aimed at providing enhanced parking provisions to pilgrims arriving at Haji Ali Dargah, Mahalaxmi Temple as well as tourists at the Race Course, is currently awaiting the nod.