Residents of Powai have voiced strong opposition to a proposed 30,000-seat Global Capability Centre (GCC) office campus, warning that the large-scale commercial development could significantly worsen congestion and strain the suburb’s already stretched infrastructure.
In a representation submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Powai Area Locality Management (ALM), along with 15 cooperative housing societies, urged the state government to reconsider the project, describing the proposed campus as a “public and ecological disaster in the making.” The residents argued that the selected location is unsuitable for a development of such magnitude.
The representation further described the proposal as “a mass casualty event waiting to happen,” citing inadequate road infrastructure, chronic traffic congestion, and the lack of effective emergency evacuation routes.
The proposed 2-million-square-foot office campus is planned within the predominantly residential Powai-Chandivli belt, originally developed under the Powai Area Development Scheme. Residents contend that the area’s narrow two-lane internal roads are already struggling to accommodate existing traffic and would be unable to handle the additional movement of employees, buses, private vehicles, cabs and service traffic generated by the project.
They also pointed out that the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), the primary arterial road serving Powai, is already operating under heavy traffic loads. According to the representation, peak-hour travel from the Western Express Highway to Powai frequently takes close to an hour. At the same time, congestion within Hiranandani Gardens has steadily increased over the years.
Residents estimate that the proposed GCC could generate an additional 20,000 to 25,000 vehicle trips daily, placing immense pressure on the Powai-Chandivli corridor. They highlighted that only two narrow residential roads connect the project site to JVLR, making traffic management and emergency access particularly challenging.
“Powai’s roads are already stretched far beyond their intended capacity. Residents routinely spend 30-45 minutes navigating distances that should take less than 10 minutes during peak hours,” said Pamela Cheema, Chairperson of the Powai ALM.
“Traffic volumes have increased by leaps and bounds over the years as residential and commercial developments have mushroomed across the area without corresponding infrastructure upgrades. Adding a 30,000-employee campus to this already overburdened ecosystem would turn daily commuting into a nightmare and severely compromise pedestrian safety and emergency response times.”
“This is no longer just a question of inconvenience or longer commute times. Powai is staring at a full-blown infrastructure and environmental crisis,” said Milan Bhat, a member of the ALM. “The existing road network has already reached the saturation point. Concentrating such a massive workforce in an already congested residential neighbourhood goes against every principle of sustainable urban planning. Without a comprehensive cumulative impact assessment, Powai risks losing not just its liveability but also its ecological identity.”
Source: The Times of India
