The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has recently unveiled a plan to alleviate congestion in Malad, partnering with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) to conduct a survey and cost-benefit analysis to address the issue.
The survey, for which BMC is paying IIT-B 12 lakh, aims to find different ways to reduce traffic and make the most use of the land parcels designated for Malad under the Development Plan.
The civic body has laid out a comprehensive plan to tackle the issue of congestion in the bustling suburb of Malad. The area, which is the largest ward in terms of both area and population, has long been plagued by heavy vehicular traffic and, more recently, by the addition of infrastructure projects that have only added to the congestion.
To address the issue, civic officials have identified key areas of congestion over the past two months, issuing notices and reporting unauthorized structures in order to widen the roads. In addition, the BMC has teamed up with the IIT-B to conduct a survey and cost-benefit analysis of the situation.
However, the plan is not without its challenges. Assistant Municipal Commissioner from P/North, Kiran Dighavkar, has noted that one of the major hindrances for road widening projects are the hawkers and occupants of residential buildings that fall in line of these projects. He added that the present-day compensation module is based on very low ready reckoner rates when compared to actual market rates. Therefore, the occupants and vendors don’t agree on the proposed amount, resulting in the projects getting stuck for years.
In an effort to overcome these challenges, BMC recently took the decision to demolish a 100-year-old building in Malad in order to widen the road. The building, which was erected in 1923 and had become a landmark for tourists, was deemed unfit for living.
Last month only, the BMC had taken a major step towards decongesting the area by conducting a demolition drive targeting illegal extensions of shops. A total of six such extensions were demolished, all of which were sweet shops. Among these were two famous establishments, MM Mithai Wala and Delhi Sweets shop.
This move by the BMC is a part of its larger plan to address the congestion in the area by identifying key areas of congestion, issuing notices for unauthorized structures.
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