Eleven civic chowkies, which are tiny police and utility booths that are currently dispersed along the famous section that includes Fashion Street, one of South Mumbai’s busiest shopping districts, will be demolished and rebuilt as part of the proposal. The project is a component of a larger plan to improve the Fort and Colaba regions’ aesthetic coherence and functionality in addition to preserving and enhancing heritage precincts. According to civic officials, the reconstruction will involve repairing walkways, installing aesthetically pleasing street lighting, and erecting new chowkie buildings that complement the area’s ancient architectural style.
An official from BMC’s planning section claims that first architectural drawings have already been created in order to envisage the renovated chowkies. However, the contractor chosen for the project will be in charge of the final design plan. The appointed agency will be mandated to work alongside heritage consultants, landscape planners, and civic engineers to develop structures that meet heritage norms and suit the visual fabric of the city’s colonial-era business district. “The primary goal is to ensure that all new structures along this stretch support Mumbai’s efforts to preserve its unique cultural identity. These chowkies will no longer be seen as mere utility booths but as integrated pieces in a planned urban landscape,” said a senior civic official associated with the heritage cell.
The A Ward office and its designated project management consultants must approve the designs, per the BMC’s directive. In order to ensure architectural sensitivity, accessibility compliance, and visual coherence with the surrounding built environment, these stakeholders will review the detailed plans. Additionally, civic authorities have suggested replacing the current utilitarian street lighting poles that break the area’s aesthetic coherence with vintage-styled cast-iron poles that echo the city’s historic core. Since it depends on the ultimate architectural scope and the materials to be utilised, the project’s cost outlay is still unknown. Timelines have been established, though.
In addition to restoring the Chowkie, BMC has focused on bringing Fashion Street back to life. Despite its commercial popularity, this lengthy stretch of vendor-run retail stalls has operated in a relatively casual manner. A separate effort to arrange more than 380 licensed stalls into a standardised hawker plaza pattern is also in progress, according to officials. In addition to promoting pedestrian safety, order, and aesthetics, the objective is to help the local street sellers’ economic well-being. “Our goal is to restructure the Fashion Street area as a whole using a sustainable retail plaza paradigm. According to an official in charge of the vendor engagement program, it would enhance tourists’ shopping experiences while giving the sellers greater respectability.
Licensed vendors are now being consulted by the company to guarantee their involvement and approval of the proposed change. According to sources, each vendor will receive a standardised kiosk that is built using environmentally friendly materials and complements the refurbished MG Road’s overall visual motif. The restoration of the area also prioritises universal design—ensuring that footpaths and chowkies are inclusive of persons with disabilities. Tactile indicators, ramps and level surfaces will be considered in the planning process to create a more accessible urban space.
The city administration’s emphasis on heritage-sensitive development has been commended by conservation specialists and urban planners. “This can be a model for how Indian cities balance the needs of infrastructure and heritage if implemented with attention to detail and public interest,” an architectural conservation specialist stated. A broader goal of transforming India’s financial hub into a model city that honours its architectural heritage while embracing contemporary infrastructure norms is reflected in the BMC’s ongoing projects throughout South Mumbai. A cleaner, safer, and more welcoming public space is what the city hopes to achieve by combining heritage preservation with practical improvements like better lighting, standardised civic buildings, and more pedestrian amenities.
The decision has also been praised by environmentalists, especially because it calls for the use of materials and designs that lessen pollution in the environment and the visual world. Officials have indicated that solar-powered lighting and energy-efficient installations could be considered to support Mumbai’s climate resilience agenda. While residents and businesses in the area have expressed cautious optimism, they have also called on the BMC to ensure that the restoration works are executed without prolonged disruption. “These are positive steps, but there must be accountability in maintaining deadlines and ensuring the final structures respect the local context,” said a long-time resident and shopkeeper near Flora Fountain.
With global cities embracing placemaking and heritage-led regeneration as pillars of sustainable development, Mumbai’s initiative to revamp MG Road’s civic infrastructure could emerge as a flagship for similar interventions in other heritage zones of the country. As the city prepares for its next phase of heritage revitalisation, stakeholders hope that such projects will not only improve functionality but also instil a renewed sense of pride among residents and visitors for Mumbai’s rich historical character.
Source: Urban Acres
