Residents of GTB Nagar in Sion have stepped up protests over the worsening condition of a narrow Development Plan (DP) road that they allege has been severely damaged due to redevelopment activity at two adjoining plots—numbers 88 and 89—located within CGS Colony. The stretch, which serves as a vital access route to the nearby railway station and is routinely used by schoolchildren, has deteriorated following months of heavy construction traffic associated with the project.
According to residents, the daily movement of large trucks carrying construction material and machinery has left the road riddled with deep potholes, uneven surfaces, and thick layers of dust. The situation has worsened due to alleged damage to underground water pipelines, resulting in continuous leakage that has turned sections of the road muddy and slippery, while also leading to water wastage.
“The developer has been transporting construction materials and machinery in large trucks via the DP road daily, resulting in deep potholes, uneven surfaces, and dust pollution, making the road unsafe for us. Even the water pipelines that were underneath have been destroyed, due to which water keeps flowing on the road, making the stretch muddy and difficult to walk on, while water is also being wasted. Also, since the road, which is used by all residents of our and neighbouring areas, has now become a dangerous route to take, people use our building premises to pass through, which also disturbs the residents of our building,” said Ramesh Chavria, a resident of the Raj Heights building located across the DP road from the redevelopment site.
Parents of students studying at CBM High School have voiced particular concern, saying the damaged road and frequent movement of heavy vehicles pose a serious threat to children’s safety. “Earlier, my son and his friend would go to and return from school on their own. But now, we have to ensure that a parent accompanies them, as huge vehicles carrying debris and other materials pass continuously,” said Irfan Ali Shaikh, whose son attends the school.
In April 2025, Chavria, representing affected residents, submitted a written complaint to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking clarity on whether permission had been granted to the developer to use the DP road for construction access. In its response two months later, the civic body denied granting any such approval. “It is to inform you that this office has not given any permission to M/s. AB Builders & Developers (Trans India) about the access and exits [sic],” the BMC stated in its reply.
The clarification has further fuelled residents’ anger, as construction vehicles continue to use the road. “What is alarming is that even after the BMC’s clear statement, there has been no on-ground action. We even wrote a letter to the civic body in December 2025, mentioning the hardships that we were facing as the developer was illegally using this road, putting us at risk daily. However, we haven’t received a response, and neither has our problem been solved,” said another resident, Mandeep Singh.
Residents have also questioned the project’s approvals, alleging discrepancies in the stated width of the DP road. “Anyone can see that the width of the road is definitely not 9.15 metres, even without measuring it. It’s a small road that pedestrians have been using for the past 50 years. Even a small hatchback four-wheeler could not make its way through the entire stretch. The developer has carried out demolitions at one end of the road to make it wide enough for his vehicles to reach the site. Additionally, at the other end of the road, he has placed two iron rods to ensure that not even two-wheelers can pass through,” said Sabdar Khan, a parent.
Responding to the allegations, Raghu Devendran, operations manager at the site, said, “We have all the necessary permissions to use the road and also to redevelop these plots. These residents, many of whom have houses in these two plots, have been creating a nuisance since the time we began work, despite taking money from us. All our papers are with our liaison manager, Nelson Nilgiri, and we can produce them in front of any authority.”
Neither Nilgiri nor officials from the BMC’s F North ward responded to calls before publication.
Source: Mid-day
