Government seeks nod for Shivaji Park parking

The government of Maharashtra on Wednesday approached the Bombay high court seeking permission to allow it to let people park their vehicle in Shivaji Park at Dadar during Ganesh immersion.

The state on Wednesday requested the court to allow the government to grant permission for vehicle parking in Shivaji Park on day 2, 5, 7 and 10 of Ganesh Chaturthi when large number of people visit Dadar seashore for Ganesh idol immersion. The state mentioned the petition before the division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Amjad Syed.

The bench, however said that the high court in the past, while discontinuing parking in Shivaji Park, had constituted a committee, which was assigned the task of finding a suitable place where vehicles could be parked during Ganesh immersion. The judges sought to know what the committee had done so far and the court was informed that no concrete steps have been taken.

On this the bench directed the committee to submit an undertaking through the state government on Thursday stating that it would hold a meeting within a week and find a suitable place for the parking of vehicles so that Shivaji Park is not used for parking in future.

The bench then deferred the matter for further hearing on Thursday.

The high court had restrained vehicle parking in Shivaji Park following a public interest litigation (PIL) by Wecom Trust, an NGO, which has been fighting to protect the Park from being used for commercial use.

Initially the PIL was against the noise pollution at Shivaji Park but it also sought discontinuation of parking in the playground as it causes destruction of cricket pitches.

However, considering the large turnout of public on visarjan days, the state and BMC approach the HC every year seeking permission to allow use of Shivaji Park for parking during Ganesh Chaturthi.