Around 500 residents of Powai staged a silent protest on Sunday against what they described as rapid and unplanned commercial development without adequate civic infrastructure. Organised by the Powai Action Forum, the campaign was held under the slogan “SAVE POWAI – Build Infra First, Then Built The Project”.
Residents marched from Haiko, Hiranandani Gardens, towards Atal Park, carrying placards highlighting concerns over traffic congestion, environmental damage and pressure on existing infrastructure along the Powai-Chandivali corridor.
The residents clarified that they are not opposed to development but want future projects to be supported by evidence-based urban planning. They have demanded a cumulative impact assessment covering traffic, water supply, sewage, drainage, emergency access and environmental concerns before approvals are granted for additional large-scale developments.
Milan Bhatt, a Powai resident and ALM secretary, said the combined impact of multiple projects needs to be assessed rather than evaluating each development independently.
“We already have a 30,000-seat Global Capacity Centre (GCC) coming up, while existing commercial and residential developments are also being redeveloped or expanded. We now have documentation relating to the redevelopment of Haiko, City Park and other projects, while Hiranandani’s own website lists multiple residential developments in the area. Each project may be individually permissible, but the government needs to look at the cumulative impact of all of them together,” he said.
Pamela Cheema, Chairperson of the Powai ALM, said existing infrastructure was already under severe pressure. “The present infrastructure is completely over-stressed and cannot cope with any more so-called development. We are not against development and growth, we believe in economic growth, but these projects should be located in the MMR region where there is more land and space and even more people can be employed.”
The Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association also supported the protest. Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of CCWA, said prolonged infrastructure gaps had contributed to worsening congestion.
Meanwhile, BGRE, formerly known as Brookfield Properties, said it remained committed to sustainable development and engaging with residents while complying with statutory requirements.
The protest comes amid continuing concerns over hill cutting and environmental risks linked to major projects in Powai.
Source: The Free Press Journal
