Chandivali residents staged an unusual protest on Sunday, performing a ‘Sadbuddhi Havan’ in an appeal for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to act on the long-delayed construction of a proposed 700-metre road connecting JVLR with Chandivali Farm Road.
Residents of Synchronicity CHSL organised the ritual, describing it as an attempt to seek “divine intervention” and “good sense and wisdom” among civic authorities. The protest was held on private premises with limited participation.
The Chandivli Citizens Welfare Association (CCWA), which organised the demonstration, said the event coincided with the third anniversary of its ‘BMC Jhoot Bolo’ campaign. The campaign was launched after residents claimed that repeated assurances regarding the road project had not translated into visible progress.
The BMC had floated a tender worth Rs 23.78 crore for the proposed road in August 2023. However, residents said construction has not progressed since then. According to the CCWA, only around 200 metres of the proposed stretch was completed in 2021, but the incomplete section is now largely used for parking.
Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of CCWA, said, “We have gathered here peacefully with limited participants on private premises, ensuring that there is no unnecessary law-and-order situation. This was the only resort left. We hope this ‘havan pooja’ brings us some divine intervention to help the cause. Chandivli just can’t bear it anymore; private development has been permitted and continues to grow to date, with many projects upcoming, but authorities have failed to fulfil their parallel development mandates.”
He added, “We have raised the concern multiple times with corporators, MLAs, MPs, and municipal officials, but we have been unable to see any development of the proposed road after a 200-metre stretch was constructed last in 2021. That stretch is of no use and serves as parking for private establishments in the area.”
Residents said rapid residential and commercial development has worsened traffic congestion, particularly during school and office hours. They also highlighted difficulties faced by senior citizens travelling to hospitals and commuters relying on autos and taxis.
The BMC was contacted for an explanation regarding the delay and the project’s next steps, but no response was received before publication.
Source: Mid-day
