DP survey marks temples wrongly

After churches, temples also in danger of losing their identity after oversight

It’s not only churches, but even the temples in Mumbai are in danger of losing their identity, as the errors in marking their places have not been corrected in the designation survey of the Development Plan (DP) 2034.

Major temples like Mahalaxmi, Mumbadevi, Siddhivinayak, Sitaladevi, Babulnath, Iskcon, Swaminarayan have been continued to be marked erroneously in the DP, as the BMC, despite earlier objections raised about their locations, has not bothered to correct the mistakes about them.

According to the study carried out by NGO Watchdog Foundation, various temples including the Mahalaxmi temple (Mahalaxmi), Mumbadevi Temple (Bhuleshwar), Sitaladevi Temple (Mahim), Babulnath Temple (Girgaum), Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple (Girgaum chowpatty), Iskcon Temple (Juhu) and Shri Swaminarayan Temple (Dadar East) were earlier shown as commercial residential zones in the draft DP.

No corrections have been done in the BMC’s designation survey and their status remains the same, said Wathchdog officials.

The case of Shri Siddhivinayak Temple at Prabhadevi is even more curious as it does not find a mention anywhere in the designation survey. “As per the proposed land use map of Siddhivinayak Temple, it was shown as a commercial residential zone. However, the designated survey for ward G/North now mentions a drama theatre, two playgrounds and even a fuel station around the temple, but the temple is nowhere in the picture,” says the Watchdog report.

The Asian Age, in its report on November 14, had pointed several glaring mistakes in marking the locations of churches, many of which are heritage monuments in the city. In case of various churches too, the civic body has failed to correct the errors in the earlier DP survey, thus jeopardizing their status in the city.

“It’s shocking that despite a earlier hue and cry, the civic officials have not bothered to correct blunders in the DP. If the situation remains the same, it would be a sheer waste of time and money again,” said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of the Watchdog Foundation.