The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday temporarily halted excavation and construction work related to the installation of 35 LED hoardings along the Carter Road promenade in Bandra (West), following protests from local residents. While the on-ground work has been stopped for now, the permission granted for erecting the billboards has not been revoked.
Earlier this week, residents led by Congress leader and former corporator Asif Zakaria submitted a letter to the civic body opposing the project. Zakaria cautioned that locals would strongly resist if the work continued. Residents argue that allowing large digital hoardings along the waterfront would commercialise a public open space and disturb its character. A peaceful gathering has been planned at the promenade on Saturday evening, with environmentalists and citizens expected to participate.
A member of IMPACT (Citizens Movement for Environment and Civic Action) said, “There is a misalignment in the way BMC and residents look at development. Probably for the former, it’s about revenue and construction, and for the latter, it’s about maintaining the serenity of a public open space. For so many years, this area has facilitated the community coming together to enjoy the city. Now it is being rampantly commercialised with construction.”
The promenade was developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s through citizen efforts and the Bandra Welfare Residents Association, supported by funds from MPs Shabana Azmi and Priya Dutt. The land is owned by the Mumbai Maritime Board (MMB), while the BMC handles maintenance.
Assistant Commissioner Dinesh Pallewad stated that approval for the hoardings was granted by MMB and that cancellation powers rest solely with it. Recent developments include removal of a steel pillar near Khar police station and suspension of related work, though pits dug for display boards remain unfilled. Residents maintain that seafronts like Marine Drive and Bandstand remain non-commercial community spaces and question the benefits of the proposed advertisements.
Source: Mid-day
