September 20, 2025: Residents of the 34-storey Willingdon Heights (Willingdon View CHS) in Tardeo are facing fresh hurdles in their bid to secure an occupancy certificate (OC) for the top 17 floors. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made it mandatory for the society to construct a parking tower to accommodate 40 additional vehicles, claiming it is a prerequisite for the OC. At present, the building has 62 flats and 49 parking spaces.
Following a Bombay High Court directive, residents of the upper floors vacated their homes on August 27. The civic body cited the usage of extra floor space index (FSI), which, it said, necessitates the provision of “sufficient parking space.”
“When the BMC told us that we won’t get the OC without creating additional car parking, we were shocked. We tried to convince the officials that 89 parking spaces are not required for 62 flats. We will not build a parking tower. It is not only a humongous task but also requires crores, which will go from our pockets,” said a resident, requesting anonymity.
BMC officials maintained their stance. “The building has used extra FSI. According to the map, the society has an adjacent open space, where a parking tower can be constructed. Without sufficient parking space, the OC cannot be granted,” said Sunil Rathod, chief engineer (building proposal department). Another officer added, “The developer has given the deemed conveyance to the society, and hence it is responsible for all proceedings towards obtaining the OC.”
Residents are now pinning hopes on the government’s newly announced OC policy, which allows regularisation under the Development Control Regulations (DCR) 1991 instead of 2034. They believe this will exempt them from paying Rs 35 crore and building the tower. However, Rathod clarified that the notification is awaited, while a Rs 5 crore penalty has already been levied.
Source: The Free Press Journal
