Toilet built in space reserved for school, garden

Even though Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) introduced a new policy earlier this month, which does not allow any kind of construction on open spaces for its protection, M-west ward in Chembur gave permission to a private developer to construct public toilet on the open space, which is reserved for school, playground and garden.

The plot is listed as RG (Reserved Ground) according to the layout plan of the BMC and is located at Suman Nagar in Chembur. The reserved ground is considered as open space, which can be used for construction of school, playground and gardens.

Residents from the locality alleged, it is the developer-corporation nexus to grab the land reserved for school and playground. The reason behind developer constructing public toilet on open space is because he is redeveloping a project in nearby area and to provide alternative for slum dwellers, he has bribed the BMC officials to encroach on open space.

The new policy by the BMC on open spaces does not allow any construction on open spaces. While drafting the new policy, the BMC had decided that they will not allow construction on open spaces and had also assured that there is no restriction on general public to access it.

Bhaskar Parab, resident from the locality, said, “Instead of constructing public toilet, the BMC should consider constructing public school or playground which can be used for education and recreational purposes.

By helping private developers to construct public toilets on reserved land, they are supporting encroachment.”

According to reports, Mumbai has 2,968 hectares of open space with per capita of 2.48 square meters. However, most of the open spaces in Mumbai, have already something built upon, or are not in use, or entry is restricted to general public.

Bharat Marathe, deputy municipal commissioner of zone-5, said, “On one hand there is ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ and on the other hand is BMC’s open space policy. Prime minister has said that there should be sanitation for all and hence there is no other option, but to construct public toilet on open space.”

He further added, “The arrangement of constructing public toilet is for temporary purposes and it will be demolished once alternate is constructed for the people residing in the slums nearby.”

Another resident from the locality said, If the BMC wants to provide temporary arrangements and is concerned about the sanitation of the slum-dwellers, why cannot they have mobile public toilets instead of constructing permanent structure on the open space.

However, documents available with this newspaper reveal that the M-west ward officials in the No objection certificate (NOC) granted to the developer stated, that the above mentioned open space as land reserved for municipal housing, where public toilets can be constructed.

But according to the lay out plan of the BMC, the above-mentioned open space is reserved for school and playground purpose.