Activists oppose BMC’s Central Park

The Cuffe Parade Residents’ Association held a protest march against open spaces from being taken over by BMC in South Mumbai. (Photo: Debasish Dey)

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s ambitious plan to set up a 300-acre Central Park by reclaiming the sea at Cuffe Parade has not gone down well with environmentalists and civic activists who have vowed to oppose it tooth and nail.

Special executive officer (SEO) Ramanath Jha, while presenting the Revised Draft Development Plan (RDDP) 2034, announced that land will be reclaimed at Cuffe Parade to establish a 300-acre Central Park. This would create large tracts of green along the city’s beachfront, he said.

However, environmentalists have questioned the civic body’s plans to set up a park by reclaiming the sea. Stalin Dayanand from the Save Aarey group has termed the civic body’s decision as “double standards”. “They had first refused reclamation for Metro saying that it was environmentally damaging. Now they are reclaiming to give Cuffe Parade residents a Central Park. It means that 20 acre for Metro Car Shed was damaging, but 300 acre is not!” said Mr Stalin.

The fishermen community has also vowed to oppose BMC’s plans to set up a Central Park at Cuffe Parade. Damodar Tandel, president of Akhil Bhartiya Koli Vikas Parishad (ABKVP) said that the entire fishermen community at Macchimar Nagar will be affected owing to the Central Park.

“Even during the late seventies, there were plans to reclaim land at Cuffe Parade at the behest of a few developers. But we fought against it and forced the state government to drop the plans. There is already a huge CPRA garden at Cuffe Parade. Why do they want to create another one by reclaiming and damaging the environment,” he said.

The BMC’s move will also effectively put an end to the Shiv Sena’s demand for an international standard theme park at the Mahalaxmi Race Course.

Meanwhile, a citizen’s body organised a candle light rally in the garden at Cuffe Parade.

The Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA), which is opposing the BMC’s notice to hand over the CPRA Greens Garden, held a satyagraha.

The rally started at 6 pm, opposite Palm Springs building. The plot was handed over to the association as a barren land and the residents pooled in and spent about '5 crore to convert it into a beautiful green park.