MUMBAI, November 28: South Mumbai may soon have at its disposal underground, multi-storeyed car parks, if a state government proposal is carried through.Said Public Works Minister Nitin Gadkari said, ``I have asked my department to submit a comprehensive report on both the proposals within a month. If the two projects are completed, it will certainly help in easing traffic congestion in south Mumbai, as these zones together will have the capacity to park more than 13,000 light motor vehicles.Since both the projects will be implemented through private sector participation, there will be no burden on the state exchequer, he added. The projects are on a build, operate lease and transfer (BOLT) basis.While one parking zone has been proposed below the Oval Ground, the second will be next to Yashodhan, the government-owned housing society across the Cricket Club of India. Both these locations are at Churchgate. ``The ultimate aim is to ensure that no car is parked on the roads in south Mumbai. If our plan is successful, we will not hesitate to identify locations for underground parking zones in other parts of the metropolis,'' said Gadkari.He added that at a juncture where the government had undertaken an ambitious programme to construct 55 flyovers in Mumbai to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, it was also essential to chalk out an action plan for vehicle parking.``In view of the exponential growth in the number of vehicles, it was essential to draw a multi-pronged strategy to tackle the problem,'' he remarked. For that purpose, a high-level committee of experts is being appointed.The government will also reconsider a proposal for a multi-storey car park below the Oval, submitted by former sheriff S K Choudhary. ``I have asked the department to examine the proposal afresh,'' Gadkari added.During his tenure as sheriff, Choudhary had submitted a comprehensive proposal to construct a multi-storey underground parking lot below the Oval. Said Choudhary, ``The total cost of the project, which included construction of a restaurant, was Rs 180 crore. The entire project was based on the BOLT concept and as such, there was no burden on the state government.'' He added that following Gadkari's intervention, he had submitted a fresh proposal to the Sena-BJP government.As per his plan, he had proposed to complete the project in three years in four phases. ``In view of opposition from local residents, I had specifically assured them that not even one inch of construction would take place above the ground level of the Oval,'' stated Choudhary.
